AQA GCSE Physical Education key terms

The main tube, also called the windpipe, that carries air from the mouth or nose towards the bronchi.

A planned programme that uses scientific principles to improve performance, skill and fitness.

How hard a performer works during exercise, which can be expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate or one repetition maximum.

A level or boundary of training intensity that provides enough stress to stimulate improvement. Training zones use lower and upper thresholds to guide effective, appropriate training.

An imaginary line passing through the body from side to side, around which movement in the sagittal plane occurs.

An imaginary horizontal surface dividing the body into upper and lower portions; turning movements take place in this plane.

The overall direction or pattern of change in a set of data.

The muscle at the back of the upper arm that straightens the arm at the elbow.

The training method used, chosen to suit the intended fitness improvement.

A condition in which blood glucose levels become too high; its risk is influenced by lifestyle factors, including physical inactivity.

The forearm bone on the little-finger side, extending between the elbow and wrist.

A state in which a performer's arousal is below the level needed for their best performance.

The extent to which a test measures what it is intended to measure.

A structure that opens and closes in response to pressure differences, keeping blood flowing in one direction by preventing backflow.

Narrowing of a blood vessel's lumen as muscle in its wall contracts, reducing blood flow through it.

The widening of blood vessels. During exercise, vessels supplying the skin widen, allowing more blood to flow near the surface and helping the body lose heat.

A blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart.

A lower chamber of the heart that receives blood from an atrium and pumps it out of the heart. The heart has a right ventricle and a left ventricle.

Spoken instructions or explanations that tell a performer how to perform a skill.

One of the bones making up the spine; together these bones are called vertebrae.

A fluid’s resistance to flowing. Increased blood viscosity means thicker blood that flows less easily.

Guidance provided by showing a performer how a skill is performed, for example through a demonstration or video.

Creating a mental picture, such as seeing yourself perform a sporting skill successfully.

A nutrient needed to maintain the efficient working of body systems and general health.

A routine performed before physical activity to prepare the body and mind for exercise.

Training in which muscles work against weights, with the exercise and load chosen to develop strength, power or muscular endurance.

A sense of being comfortable, healthy and happy, influenced by physical, mental and social factors.