Critical Quest 1: How does training affect performance?
Which of the following will occur when an endurance athlete competes in an event lasting two and a half hours? (2014)
(A) The metabolism of fat will decrease.
(B) Fat will be the only fuel source metabolised.
(C) The metabolism of protein will remain constant during the event.
(D) The metabolism of glycogen will decrease towards the end of the event.
What is cardiac output? (2014)
(A) The volume of blood ejected by the heart per minute
(B) The volume of blood sent to the lungs for oxygenation
(C) The volume of deoxygenated blood returning to the heart
(D) The volume of blood sent by the left ventricle of the heart during each contraction
The physiological adaptation that is likely to occur from progressively overloading a strength-training program is an increase in (2015)
(A) muscle hypertrophy.
(B) cardiac muscle capacity.
(C) muscle contraction speed.
(D) the number of fast twitch muscle fibres.
What is the cause of fatigue for the alactacid system? (2015)
(A) Lack of essential amino acids
(B) Lack of muscle glycogen stores
(C) Inability to re-synthesise phosphate creatine
(D) Inability to convert carbohydrates to glycogen
How could a coach use a circuit training program to develop the aerobic capacity and strength of her athletes? (2015)
(A) By increasing the time allowed for the circuit to be completed
(B) By increasing the resistance and the time at each of the stations
(C) By decreasing the time allowed for the circuit to be completed
(D) By decreasing the resistance and the time at each of the stations
Which of the following would be a suitable weight training plan for enhancing the performance of an endurance athlete? (2015)
(A) Low repetition numbers with long recovery periods between sets
(B) Low repetition numbers with short recovery periods between sets
(C) High repetition numbers with slow speed and long recovery periods between sets
(D) High repetition numbers with fast speed and short recovery periods between sets
What is the most likely cause of fatigue in a runner completing a 100 m sprint? (2016)
(A) Dehydration
(B) Accumulation of lactic acid
(C) Depletion of muscle glycogen
(D) Depletion of phosphate creatine
What is the likely effect of a heavy and low-repetition strength training program using free weights? (2016)
(A) Muscle atrophy
(B) Muscle hypertrophy
(C) Increased muscular endurance
(D) Increased slow-twitch muscle fibre concentration
Compared to an untrained person, a trained endurance athlete is likely to have a (2016)
(A) lower resting heart rate.
(B) higher resting heart rate.
(C) increased fast-twitch fibre concentration.
(D) decreased fast-twitch fibre concentration.
Which of the following adaptations is increased by long-term aerobic training? (2016)
(A) Fat metabolism
(B) ATP resynthesis
(C) Protein metabolism
(D) Fast-twitch fibre recruitment
What type of training involves an activity with intermittent bursts of speed? (2017)
A. Circuit
B. Fartlek
C. Flexibility
D. Continuous
What are the waste products of the aerobic energy system? (2017)
A. Lactate, heat, water
B. Lactate, oxygen, creatine
C. Carbon dioxide, heat, water
D. Carbon dioxide, oxygen, creatine
In which activity would creatine supplementation be most likely to enhance an athlete’s performance?(2017)
A. An ultra-marathon
B. A long jump event
C. A 100-metre sprint final
D. A 2-kilometre ocean swim
Critcal Quest 2: How can psychology affect performance?
A coach tells the squad that a strong performance in its next match will result in individuals being selected for a representative team. What type of motivation is this? (2014)
(A) Positive and intrinsic
(B) Positive and extrinsic
(C) Negative and intrinsic
(D) Negative and extrinsic
An athlete enters a sporting arena and gets nervous. What type of anxiety is this? A. State B. Trait C. Natural D. Arousal
A coach tells her squad that a poor performance in the next match will result in individuals not being considered for a representative team. What type of motivation is this? A. Positive and intrinsic B. Positive and extrinsic C. Negative and intrinsic D. Negative and extrinsic
Critical Quest 3: How can nutrition and recovery strategies affect performance?
Which of the following recovery techniques is an effective neural strategy? (2014)
(A) Cooling of muscles to allow repair
(B) Focusing the mind to overcome pain
(C) Relaxing muscles that have been fatigued or damaged
(D) Adopting a nutrition plan to replace lost fluids and nutrients
Why is an adequate intake of vitamins important in an athlete’s diet? (2015)
(A) They are energy rich nutrients.
(B) They act as catalysts to assist energy metabolism.
(C) They increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
(D) They restore bone density when used with load bearing exercise.
Why is cryotherapy an effective post-exercise recovery procedure? (2015)
(A) It dilates blood flow and reduces muscle soreness.
(B) It dilates blood flow and increases dispersal of waste.
(C) It constricts blood flow and decreases dispersal of waste.
(D) It constricts blood flow and reduces an inflammatory response.
An athlete sustains tissue damage during a game. Which recovery strategy should the athlete undertake to prepare for another game in two days time? (2016)
(A) Cryotherapy
(B) Hydrotherapy
(C) Sports massage
(D) Dynamic stretching
Athletes dehydrate while competing in sporting events. Which strategy would best address dehydration? (2016)
(A) Drinking 250 mL of water for every 30 minutes of competition
(B) Drinking 300 mL to 500 mL of water prior to commencing the event
(C) Drinking 600 mL of an energy sports drink at the completion of the event
(D) Drinking 100 mL of water for every 100 grams of body weight lost during the event
Why would athletes choose to consume caffeine to enhance performance in a high intensity activity of short duration?
(A) To increase water retention
(B) To increase focus and attention
(C) To increase synthesis of stored glycogen
(D) To increase metabolism of essential vitamins and minerals
After sustaining an injury, an athlete applies ice and a compression bandage. This is an example of which recovery strategies? (2017)
A. Neural and cryotherapy
B. Neural and hydrotherapy
C. Tissue damage and cryotherapy
D. Tissue damage and hydrotherapy
Critical Quest 4: How does the acquisition of skill affect performance?
In basketball, players can be awarded a ‘free throw’ whereby they are allowed to attempt a shot without any defenders. Which set of motor skills is used in a basketball free throw? (2014)
(A) Closed and fine
(B) Closed and gross
(C) Open and fine
(D) Open and gross
Which group of physical skills is best acquired using massed practice? (2014)
(A) Skills learnt in an open environment
(B) Skills that require extensive external feedback
(C) Skills that require a high degree of coordination
(D) Skills that have a distinctive beginning and end
Which of the following would be suitable for enhancing the performance of an autonomous athlete? (2014)
(A) Self-paced and distributed practice
(B) Closed skills and delayed feedback
(C) Distributed practice and delayed feedback
(D) Concurrent feedback and tactical development
An individual is required to perform a discrete, open and externally paced skill. Which of the following would meet this description? (2015)
(A) Putting in golf
(B) Running 800 m
(C) Throwing a discus
(D) Returning a tennis serve
What type of feedback occurs when an athlete receives a score at the conclusion of a gymnastics routine? (2015)
(A) Intrinsic
(B) Concurrent
(C) Knowledge of results
(D) Knowledge of performance
At the completion of a netball game, all team members nominate a player from their team whom they believe was the best player. What type of assessment of skill and performance is this? (2016)
(A) Objective and personal criteria
(B) Objective and prescribed criteria
(C) Subjective and personal criteria
(D) Subjective and prescribed criteria
What is the nature of the skill required by a dart thrower? (2017)
A. Open, self-paced
B. Open, externally paced
C. Closed, externally paced
D. Closed, self-paced
What type of appraisal would a panel of experts use to assess a diving performance? (2017)
A. Individual opinion
B. Subjective assessment
C. Personal judging criteria
D. Prescribed judging criteria
A coach wants to test the speed of his athletes. Each athlete completes a single timed 100-metre sprint on the same running surface. Which of the following best describes the findings of this test? (2017)
A. Valid but not reliable
B. Subjective and valid
C. Reliable but not valid
D. Subjective and reliable
Which group of skills is best learned using a massed practice approach? (2017)
A. Skills learned in an open environment
B. Skills with a distinct beginning and end in the learning routine
C. Skills requiring extensive external feedback during each learning phase
D. Skills requiring a high degree of coordination in order to be learned effectively