Edexcel GCSE Physical Education key terms

Checking for possible health risks before someone begins or increases physical activity.

The number of times the heart beats per minute, measured in beats per minute (bpm).

The distance from the soles of the feet to the top of the head when standing upright.

A skill whose parts are closely linked and difficult to separate without disrupting the movement.

A joint that mainly allows bending and straightening in one plane, such as the elbow, knee or ankle.

Having enough fluid in the body; fluid intake replaces fluid that is lost.

An increase in muscle size.

Applying a wrapped cold pack to an injured area to help reduce pain and swelling.

The factor deliberately changed in an investigation, usually shown in the first table column and on the horizontal axis of a graph.

The principle that training must be tailored to the requirements and characteristics of the performer, including their current fitness and goals.

The mixture of gases breathed into the lungs.

Measures taken to reduce the risk of physical harm or damage to the body during training or participation.

Breathing in: drawing air into the lungs.

How hard a performer trains, which can be expressed using measures such as heart rate or resistance.

Explaining what a result or pattern in data means, such as recognising that a shorter sprint time indicates improved speed.

Training that alternates planned periods of work with planned periods of rest or lower-intensity recovery.

A conversation in which questions are asked to collect information from a participant.

Information about performance received through the performer’s own senses and feelings.

Muscle that works without conscious control; in blood vessel walls, smooth muscle helps regulate blood flow.

A bone with a complex shape that does not fit the long, short or flat categories, suited to roles such as protection and muscle attachment.

A place where two or more bones meet.

The sense of how the body is positioned and moving: the ‘feel’ of a skill.

A build-up of lactate in the muscles and blood during intense exercise, when oxygen supply is insufficient to meet the demands of the working muscles.

A by-product of anaerobic respiration in human muscles, which can accumulate during high-intensity exercise.

A rigid bar that turns about a fixed point when a force acts on it. Bones act as levers in the body.

The use of a bone as a lever: muscle force moves the bone about a joint.

A decision about everyday habits, such as eating, physical activity, rest, sleep or recreational drug use, that can affect health.