The sporting edge – key terms
This resource provides explanations of the key concepts encountered when exploring getting the sporting edge, applying science to improve sporting performance. Sports science helps athletes gain the advantage by combining scientific principles and techniques with knowledge about muscles, tendons and bones. Below are the ‘basics’ that every student should understand when looking at sport science.
Biomechanics
The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially of the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure.
Core strength
Core muscles are an array of muscles from the chest to hips. They maintain balance, ensure stamina, keep you upright and protect the routes between your brain and your arms and legs. The ability of these muscles to carry out this function is core strength.
Energy
The ability to do work e.g. if a system has a lot of energy, a lot of work can be done.
Force
An influence that may cause a body to accelerate. It may be experienced as a lift, a push, or a pull.
Human physiology
Human physiology is the science of the functions of humans, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The main focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems.
Lever
A simple machine consisting of a rigid bar pivoted on a fixed point and used to transmit force, as in raising or moving a weight at one end by pushing down on the other.
Muscle
The tissue that makes it possible for an animal to move (and for movement to occur within an animal). Muscles also maintain posture and help maintain body temperature.
Power
The rate at which work is done, expressed as the amount of work per unit time and commonly measured in units such as the watt and horsepower.
Sports science
A discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance.
Work
When a force moves an object through a distance in the direction of the force (force x distance), measured in joules.
