69 exam-style questions on Qualities of training — topic A.3.1 of Exercise physiology and nutrition of the human body in the IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.
A netball centre is timed sprinting through a pre-marked course that forces repeated sharp changes of direction while keeping full control of the body. Which component of fitness does this test primarily measure?
Answer: Agility
Agility is the ability to change the position of the whole body quickly and accurately under control, which is exactly what a change-of-direction course isolates. Reaction time is the latency between a stimulus and the start of the response, so it is not tested on a route the athlete has already been shown.
A rower completes six 500 m efforts at close to race pace, each separated by three minutes of light paddling. Which training method is being used?
Answer: Interval training
Interval training prescribes work bouts and recovery periods of set duration and intensity, so the coach controls the work-to-rest ratio. Fartlek differs because the changes of pace are unstructured and self-selected rather than timed.
A hurdler's partner moves the leg to the end of hip flexion, the hurdler pushes isometrically against the partner for a few seconds, relaxes, and the partner then moves the leg further into range. Which flexibility method is this?
Answer: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
The contract-relax sequence against a partner is the defining feature of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, which uses the reduced reflex resistance after an isometric contraction to gain range. Static passive stretching holds an end position without any prior contraction.
A club swimmer's aerobic capacity falls markedly after six weeks away from the pool with a broken wrist. Which principle of training accounts for this loss?
Answer: Reversibility
Reversibility states that adaptations are lost when the training stimulus is withdrawn, and aerobic adaptations decay faster than strength adaptations. Progressive overload describes how the stimulus is increased, not what happens when it is removed.
A volleyball coach adds depth jumps and bounding to the training week. Which component of fitness is this method chosen to develop?
Answer: Muscular power
Plyometric work exploits the stretch-shortening cycle, in which a rapid eccentric loading phase is followed immediately by a concentric contraction, and power is force multiplied by the speed of movement. Muscular endurance would instead be trained with many repetitions against a light load.
A swimming coach increases an age-group sprinter's programme from three to five pool sessions per week without changing the sessions themselves. Which component of the FITT principle has been changed?
Answer: Frequency
Frequency is how often training occurs, so adding sessions per week changes only that component. Time would be the duration of each session and intensity how hard it is — the classic mix-up is between frequency and time, because both make the week feel bigger.
That was 6 of 69 Qualities of training questions.
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69 Qualities of training questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
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