How Physiological Factors Determining the Components of Physical Fitness?

The physiological factors are the actual functions of the human organism. The physiologically oriented factors of most communities are alive and well. The economic factors have evolved through a series of underbelly processes and ultimately affect the form that leads to a person. For example, when I went on vacation with a lot of calories, I didn’t need just enough energy to increase the current as quickly as possible, which could cause irritation and increase the space in the future.

The physiological factors affect the human condition as the processes are slower and affect the thoughts and other psychiatric factors. The scientific factors directly affect a person’s experience of the world and are characterized by their physical processes.

Physical Fitness-

Physical fitness is the shadow of an athlete’s capacity to carry out various sports activities without any fatigue. The health of athletes includes their physical, mental, emotional, and physiological fitness. The components of physical fitness like strength, speed, flexibility, endurance (stamina), etc are determined by the physiological changes due to activity. Different activities have different demands on the various body systems during physical activities.

1- Physiological Determinants of Strength

2- Physiological Determinants of Speed

3- Physiological Determinants of Endurance

4- Physiological Determinants of Flexibility

Physiological Determinants of Strength-

Strength comes from various physiological factors. Some of the important factors are discussed below-

a- Muscles Size- Muscle’s size determines strength. More muscle mass provides more forceful contraction of muscles. The male has stronger than females due to higher muscle mass and larger size of muscles. Muscle size and strength can be changed or enhanced by strength training in both cases (males and females).

b- Body Weight- A heavier person is stronger especially if their weight is muscular. Lean body mass,  which is a person’s body weight with minimum body fat is the important determinant of strength. More lean muscle mass has a higher capacity to lift weights and is beneficial in various sports activities like weight lifting, powerlifting, etc.

c- Muscles Composition-  Muscle is composed of two types of muscle fibers – fast-twitch muscle fiber and slow-twitch muscle fiber. The fast-twitch muscle fiber is also known as white muscle fiber and slow-twitch muscle fiber is known as red muscle fiber. The ratio of these Muscle fibers is genetically decided and can not be changed.

d- Nerve Impulse Intensity- The basic unit of muscles is called the motor unit. The more contraction motor units a muscle has, the greater the force generated. The stronger the nerve impulse to these motor units in the brain, the stronger the contraction. This leads to greater muscle strength.

Physiological Determinants of Speed-

Speed is a vital component of physical fitness. The physiological factors that determine the speed are the following-

Nerve Impulse Excitability-

The nervous system controls the relaxation and contraction of muscle activity. more excitation and inhibition of neural input in rapids, more relaxation, and muscle contraction in rapids. This, therefore, determines the speed of the person. Mainly genetic, it can be improved very little by training.

Muscle Composition–

The fast-twitch or white fiber will be faster than the speed of muscle can attain. It is determined genetically. We can not modify the ratio of these two types of muscle fibers.

Strength-

The ability to overcome resistance is the measure of strength. Muscle strength is classified as strength endurance, Maximum strength, and Explosive strength.  The Explosive strength of the muscle faster will be the speed. other hand strength endurance is needed for long-distance running. Training can improve this aspect of the muscle.

Flexibility-

Flexibility is the capacity to move the muscles and joints. Higher flexibility can higher capacity to move fast. It can enhance the explosive strength of the muscle. More flexible muscles will faster the speed.

Energy Reserve and Metabolic Power-

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) and CP (Creatine Phosphate) provide energy to our body. These represent the biochemical reserves of our body. ATP is obtained by aerobic respiration. More Aerobic respiration produced more ATP and higher energy to generate speed. Our body Utilise ATP and CP for energy and a few enzymes also facilitate energy generation. Thus the biochemical reserves and metabolic power can determine the speed.

Physiological Determinants of Endurance-

Endurance can be defined as the capacity to sustain activity at a desired rate and speed. This is the staying power of an athlete. A few determinants of endurance are the following-

1- Aerobic capacity-

working muscles need a continuous supply of oxygen. Essential energy comes from aerobic and anaerobic respiration. The presence of oxygen in muscles determines aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity refers to the maximum amount of oxygen consumed by the body during intense exercises in a given time frame. this depends upon many sub-factors are following-            

a. Oxygen Intake-

The oxygen we get from the atmosphere by the intake. More oxygen gets to the lungs will be more available to the muscles. Lung size and capacity determine oxygen intake. Healthy athletes have high volumes of oxygen consumption (VO2), so their endurance is higher.

b. Oxygen Circulation-

The oxygen is carried to blood from the lungs. It combines with hemoglobin and goes toward the heart. The heart pumps oxygenated blood to all body parts, including the muscles. The amount of oxygen in the blood depends on the percentage of hemoglobin and oxygen intake. We can train the heart to pump more blood thus enhancing the speed of circulation of oxygen-rich blood.

c. Oxygen Uptake-

This is defined as the capacity of muscle to absorb and consume oxygen. More active muscles will consume more oxygen. The speed of oxygen diffusion from the cells determines the uptake of oxygen. In metabolic capacity, the number of active mitochondria in the cells and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) also influence oxygen uptake.

d. Energy/ Biochemical Reserve-

Fuelling of the muscles and energy obtained from the glycogen as well as from sugar in the blood. Difficult exercise demands more energy. Stored fat in the body acts as an alternative source of energy supply. Minimum glycogen and sugar levels cause fatigue. Poor energy level means poor endurance capacity as well as poor performance. Liver glycogen is the reserve to be used during long-duration activity.

2- Lactic Acid Tolerance-

Lactic acid is the end product of exercise in the muscle. Accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle causes tiredness and cramping of the muscle. This is produced as energy is released during anaerobic respiration. It is possible to increase tolerance to lactic acid so that endurance can be increased.

3- The Economy of Movement-

One way to save energy is to limit unnecessary movements. Athletes who make excessive movements during their activities waste valuable energy. For example, Swimmers can conserve energy by controlling their hand and head movements. Similarly, runners who avoid unnecessary movements can prevent the burning of excess energy.

4- Muscle Composition-

The ratio of fast twitch muscle fibers and slow twitch muscle fibers determines the performance of an athlete. More slow-twitch muscle fibers will have more endurance which is helpful for marathon runners as well as long-distance runners.

Physiological Determinants of Flexibility-

The range of movements at a joint is called flexibility. many factors determine flexibility some factors are the following-

Muscle Strength-

The muscle must be able to overcome a fixed resistance to be strong. The stronger the muscle, the more flexible it is likely to be. Raise a part of the body against gravity. Through training, we can improve the strength and flexibility of most muscles.

The Joint Structure-

The types of joints and their range of motion are important physiological factors in flexibility. The shoulder joint is the most flexible and has the ability to move within a range of 360 degrees, while the spinal joints are the most flexible in forward and backward flexion actions. Therefore, joint structure is an important determinant of flexibility.

Age and Gender-

As a general rule, the older you are, the less flexibility there will be. Females tend to be less rigid and more flexible than males. Since the body can be trained, we can improve flexibility with proper training even in old age.

Muscle Stretchability-

Muscles must contract to create movement in the joint. If the muscles are stiff and not fully stretched, the range of motion is reduced. Training allows muscles to contract and stretch, which increases movement and leads to greater flexibility.

Body Temperature-

Warm-up activities increase body temperature, which, in turn, makes the body more flexible. Consequently, exposure to the cold entails a decrease in muscle flexibility.

Past Injuries-

Wounds heal through a process called fibrosis. This transforms the elastic muscles into a more rigid tissue, causing the weak muscles to be flexible. Appropriate and timely treatment of injuries prevents fibrosis and preserves flexibility.