Glossary
In health and fitness, we use a number of words that are specific to anatomy or training. Here is a list of the key terms.
A
ACSM: American College of Sports Medicine.
Aerobic: exercising using oxygen.
Anaerobic: exercising with limited oxygen use. This uses the body’s natural stores of energy within our muscles.
B
Body Fat: this is a measure of the percentage of your body mass that is composed of fat.
Body Mass Index (BMI): this is a ratio of your height to weight and gives a very rough approximation of whether an individual is the correct weight. You can calculate BMI by dividing your weight by your height squared, or, Weight (kg) / Height (m) x Height (m). This method has been found to very highly inaccurate because it does not take into account build or muscular weight and, for this reason, I would not recommend using it.
C
Carbohydrates: starchy foods, such as potatoes or cereals, that should make up the bulk of our diets.
CV: Cardiovascular training, which is exercise to improve cardio-respiratory functions.
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F
Fats: an important part of our diets at 30 percent of our daily intake and aincludes solids such as butter or oils.
Flexibility: a measure of how flexible or ‘elastic’ muscles in the body are.
G
GI: Glycaemic Index. This is a measure of how fast food types will break down and release sugar (or glucose) into the bloodstream and working muscles. Food types have different rates at which they release glucose. For example, honey has a high GI at 87 and releases glucose very fast. Peanuts, on the other hand, have a very low GI at 13 and consequently release glucose very slowly.
H
Heart Rate: the number of times your heart beats every minute.
Heart Rate Recovery: the time that it takes for your heart rate to recover to resting levels following exercise.
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L
Lactate: the salt left from Lactic Acid.
Lactic Acid: an acid present in muscles that controls over-exertion. At very high levels of exertion, the body will produce more acid to slow the body down and prevent overuse of the muscle. The by-product of this is hydrogen ions that cause a burning sensation within our muscles.
M
Maximum Heart Rate: the maximum number of beats per minute (BPM) that your heart will consistently beat.
Minerals and Vitamins these come from various food types, including vegetables and fruit; a balanced diet will usually contain the required amounts of these.
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P
Periodization: a method of breaking down training into manageable blocks, each with a specific objective.
Plyometrics: a training method to improve power using short ballistic movements such as jumping. It is used a lot in many sports, including football, rugby and running.
Proteins a small proportion of our daily diet at 10 percent, such as meat, dairy products and beans.
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R
RT: Resistance training, which is exercise to improve muscular strength and endurance.
S
SAQ: Speed, Agility and Qucikness. This improves footwork and some upper body movements using various equipment. It helps develop faster reaction times, more agile movements and increased speed.
Steady State Training: a training method where the heart rate remains fairly constant throughout the activity, sometimes called LSD training.
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V
Variable Training: a training method where the heart rate varies during the workout, such as interval training.
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