FITNESS BUDDY GLOSSARY OF WORD DEFINITIONS
A to C Words
| 36 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| ACTIN | One of the two main contractile proteins in a muscle fiber. |
| ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE (ATPase) | The enzyme involved in the splitting of ATP and the release of energy. |
| ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE (ATP) | A chemical compound that breaks down to release the energy responsible for muscle contraction. |
| AEROBIC | Energy created with oxygen, or in the presence of oxygen. |
| AEROBIC LAYOFF | A state of aerobic exercise inactivity causing an average decline of 25% conditioning during the first month, followed by continued gradual diminishment. |
| AEROBIC MAINTENANCE | The retaining of a level of cardiovascular fitness without progress; usually accomplished by repeating an exercise plan without progression on a twice weekly basis. |
| AEROBIC SELF TEST | Any standardized procedure for determining an individual's maximum oxygen uptake per kilo of body weight. |
| AEROBIC STEADY STATE | A level of metabolism when the oxygen consumption satisfies the energy expenditure and the heart rate required for oxygen transport stabilizes. |
| ANAEROBIC | Energy created without oxygen, or in the absence of oxygen. |
| ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS | The breakdown of carbohydrate (sugar) in the absence of oxygen; one of the major methods of producing energy in muscle fibers. |
| ANAEROBIC LAYOFF | A state of anaerobic exercise inactivity causing an average decline of 20% of muscle strength and endurance during the first month, followed by continued gradual diminishment. |
| ANAEROBIC MAINTENANCE | The retaining of a level of physical strength and endurance without progress; usually accomplished by repeating anexercise plan without progression once weekly. |
| ANAEROBIC SELF TEST | Any standardized procedure for determining an individual's isometric or isotonic muscle strength. |
| ATROPHY | A decrease in the overall size of an organic tissue. |
| BALLISTIC | With a movement. |
| BLOOD PRESSURE | The pressure of the blood in the blood vessels; usually refering to arterial blood pressure divided into diastolic (the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats) and systolic (the pressure when the heart is contracting). |
| BLOOD SHUNT | The reduction of the blood volume in the body organs and its movement to the working skeletal muscles. |
| BODY COMPOSITION | The whole of the body measured by the percentage of weight ratio of one part to another (body fat to lean muscle mass, ect.). |
| BODY FAT | The total amount of fat in the body. |
| BODY FAT TESTING | A scientific method used to measure body fat as compared to lean tissue; skin calipers, hydrostatic weighing, girth measurement, electrical impedence, ultrasound. |
| BODYBUILD | A sport or fitness activity with emphasis on muscle development, proportion, and size. |
| CALORIE | A measure of heat; usually a large calorie (kilocalorie, KC, or C) which is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. |
| CAPILLARIES | The smallest blood vessels where oxygen, foods, and hormones enter the cells and carbon dioxide and wastes are removed. |
| CARBOHYDRATE | A group of compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; comprising all the sugars (glucose, glycogen, starch, fiber, cellulose, and saccharides). |
| CENTER OF GRAVITY | The point of intersection of the three primary planes ofthe body; the exact center of the body. |
| CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM | The brain and spinal cord. |
| CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT | The measurement of changes in muscle size and body proportion with the use of a tape measure. |
| CONCENTRIC | A contraction that involves the shortening of a muscle. |
| CONNECTIVE TISSUE | The supporting and connecting structures of the body. |
| COOL-DOWN | A gradual reduction of activity after vigorous exercise for the purpose of reducing the heart rate back to aresting level, the dissipation of heat, the maintenance of blood flow , and the recovery of the muscles. |
| COORDINATION | The act of various muscles working together in a smooth concerted way; correct and precise timing of muscle contractions. |
| CORE TEMPERATURE | The temperature of the deep tissues of the body. |
| CRAMP | An involuntary, spasmodic, painful contraction of a muscle or muscles caused by a strain, heat, and/or electrolyte loss. |
| CREATINE PHOSPHATE | A molecule in muscle fibers that breaks down to liberate energy for the construction of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). |
| CROSS BRIDGE | Projections of myosin (protein) that form links with actin filaments (protein) and pull them forward causing a contraction. |
D to G Words
| 20 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| DEHYDRATING | The reduction of the body water to below the normal level; water output exceeds water intake. |
| DURATION | The amount of time spent exercising in the aerobic state during each exercise session. |
| ECCENTRIC | A contraction that involves the lengthening of a muscle. |
| ELECTROLYTES | A solution that contains ions and can conduct electricity; often the ions of salts such as sodium and chloride. |
| ENDORPHINS | A brain chemical that eases or suppresses pain. |
| ENDURANCE-STRENGTH | The ability of a muscle to produce prolonged effort. |
| ENZYME | A protein that promotes the chemical processes occurring in living tissue without itself being altered or destroyed. |
| FAST-SLOW-TWITCH FIBER | A striped type of muscle fiber that exhibits both slow fatigue and quick fatigue characteristics depending on the demands placed upon it. |
| FAST-TWITCH FIBER | One of the two major types of muscle fiber that contracts and fatigues quickly and relies mainly on anaerobic energy. |
| FAT | Triglycerides; a combination, or ester of three fatty acids and glycerol. |
| FAT PATTERNING | The deposition of fat in specific areas of the human body,such as the stomach, thighs, or hips. |
| FATIGUE | A generalized or specific feeling of tiredness that may have a multitude of causes both mental and physical. |
| FATTY ACID | One of the building blocks of fats; used as fuel for muscle contraction. |
| FLEXIBILITY | That property of muscles and connective tissue which allows full range of motion. |
| FORM AND FUNCTION | The way in which an object does something as defined by it's shape. |
| FREQUENCY | The number of times in a day or a week spent in aerobic exercise. |
| FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY | A quantified comparison of cardiovascular ability by percentage of expected maximum capacity as modified for age, gender and body weight. |
| GLUCOSE | The most common sugar and the main fuel for muscle contraction. |
| GLUCOSE SPARING | The preference of muscle fibers for fatty acids as fuel rather than glycogen or glucose. |
| GLYCOGEN | A carbohydrate of several glucose molecules; the main form of glucose storage in the body. |
H to L Words
| 17 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| HEART ARRHYTHMIA | An irregular rhythm or beat of the heart. |
| HEAT EXHAUSTION | Weakness or dizziness caused by overexertion in a hot environment. |
| HEAT STROKE | Elevated body temperature of 106 degrees F. or greater caused by exposure to excessive heat, creating increased internal heat production combined with diminished heat loss. |
| HUMIDITY | A high level of dampness or moisture in the air. |
| HYDROSTATIC WEIGHING | A scientific method for determining body composition that uses Archimedes Principal of water displacement; the difference between body weight measured on land and in a tank of water. |
| HYPERHYDRATE | The practice of increasing the body-water stores by additional fluid consumption prior to intensive prolonged aerobic exercise in a hot environment. |
| HYPERTROPHY | An increase in the overall size of a tissue. |
| HYPERVENTILATE | A rapid series of quick, deep, and forceful breathes causing over oxygenation of the blood with accompanying dizzyness or light headedness. |
| INTENSITY | The relative heart rate, speed, or level of exertion expressed as a percentage of the maximum allowable. |
| ISOMETRIC | A contraction in which muscle tension increases, but the muscle does not shorten because it does not overcome the resistance. |
| ISOTONIC | A contraction in which muscle tension increases, and the muscle shortens (sliding filament theory) as it overcomes the resistance. |
| JOINT | A place where bones meet and are connected by ligament to each other and by tendons to the muscle. |
| KILOGRAM METER (KGM) | A measure of work whereby one kilogram of weight is moved through a distance of one meter. |
| LACTIC ACID | A product of glucose and glycogen metabolism, which insufficient concentration causes fatigue. |
| LEAN TISSUE | The body weight minus the body fat, composed mainly of muscle, bone, and other nonfat tissue. |
| LEVERAGE | The movement of resistance by rotation about a fixed axis or fulcrum, which lifts or sustains the resistance at one point by means of applied force at the second point. |
| LIPID | A class of fats or fat like substances characterized by their insolubility in water and solubility in fat solvents, fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol are important lipids in the body. |
M to O Words
| 18 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| MACRO CYCLE | The alternating of a four to six week high intensity microcycle followed by a four to six week low intensity microcycle into a single unit. |
| MASS | That property of a body to which its inertia is ascribed, being a measure of its acceleration upon application of a given force. |
| MAXIMUM HEART RATE | The maximum rate of heart beats per minute acceptable relative to age. |
| MAXIMUM INTENSITY | The maximum exertion level acceptable for an individual during exercise. |
| METABOLISM | The sum total of all physical and chemical processes occuring in the body. |
| METs | A measurement unit of energy expenditure; one MET equals approximately 3.5 milligrams of oxygen consumed per minute per kilogram of body weight. |
| MICRO CYCLE | A high or low intensity exercising period lasting four to six weeks for the purpose of developing muscle size and/or muscle density. |
| MITOCHONDRIA | One of the many small sacs inside the muscle fibers containing enzymes that help convert food to energy. |
| MUSCLE | A tissue consisting of elongated fibers which contract on stimulation and produce bodily motion. |
| MUSCLE FIBER DENSITY | The amount of muscle fibers compacted into a given volume of muscle tissue. |
| MUSCLE TONE | Muscle firmness in the absence of a voluntary contraction. |
| MYOFIBRIL | One of many fibrils consisting mainly of protein that filla muscle fiber. |
| MYOSIN | One of the two main contractile proteins in a muscle fiber. |
| NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEM | The total biological interaction necessary to transmit an electrical impulse from the brain to another part of the body and then return a feedback responce to the brain. |
| NEUROTRANSMITTER | A chemical that spills across the synoptic gap between neurons, transmitting an electrical impulse. |
| NUTRIENT | Substances found in food that provide energy, promote growth and repair of tissues, and regulate metabolism. |
| OBESITY | An excessive accumulation of body fat; usually reserved for those individuals who are 20-30 percent or more above the average weight for their size. |
| OVERTRAIN | A state in which the body's ability to recover and re-energize itself is diminished to the point of long term exhaustion. |
P to S Words
| 29 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| PERIODIZATION | The organizing of a long term physical peak on a specific predetermined date; usually accomplished by taking the peak date and figuering the micro cycles back to a starting point. |
| PHYSICAL CAPACITY TESTING | Any one of a complex of scientific tests used to measure the body's ability to perform maximum activity; strengthtests, cardiac stress tests, flexibility tests, lung function tests. |
| PHYSIOLOGY | The science dealing with the normal functions of living animal organisms or their organs. |
| PLATEAU | A time or area in development when neither progress nor decline takes place. |
| POINT OF DIMINISHED RETURN | The point where the advancement of muscle development decreases in proportion to the amount of effort required for continued improvement. |
| POWER-STRENGTH | The amount of work accomplished by a muscle relative to the duration of the effort (work divided by time). |
| POWERLIFT | A competitive sport in which the winner is selected by lifting the most weight resistance one time in the bench press, squat, and deadlift exercises. |
| PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE | A program in which the amount of resistance is regularly increased as the muscles gain in strength; maintaining continual overload. |
| PROTEIN | Any one of a group of complex organic compounds containing nitrogen; formed from various combinations of amino acids. |
| PYRUVIC ACID | The chemical precursor of lactic acid. |
| RANGE OF MOTION | The amount of movement that can occur in a joint expressed in degrees. |
| RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION | A subjective rating on a numerical scale, used to express the perceived difficulty of a given work task. |
| RATE OF PROGRESS | An anticipated amount of improvement over time based upon fitness level and experience level. |
| REPETITION | A single complete movement of an exercise. |
| RESISTANCE | Any opposing force (mass, air pressure, ect.) which causes a muscle to tense or shorten in an effort to overcome it. |
| SEDENTARY | Accustom to sitting; inactive. |
| SET | A fixed number of repetitions. |
| SKELETAL MUSCLE | The most prevalent type of muscle in the body; usually anchored to bone to carry out voluntary movement. |
| SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBER | Cylindrical, multinucleated cells with contractile threads that shorten when stimulated. |
| SKIN CALIPERS | A clamping device with marked measurements and a constant spring pressure used to determine body fat percentage by the thickness of skin folds and scientific formulas. |
| SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY | The leading theory of muscle contraction holding that protein filaments in muscle fibers slide past each other when a muscle contracts. |
| SLOW-TWITCH FIBER | One of the two major types of skeletal muscle fiber; it contracts and fatigues slowly and relies mainly on aerobic energy. |
| SPECIFICITY | The choice of an exercise style for a single overall purpose. |
| SPEED-STRENGTH | The short term explosive power of a muscle, dependant upon the density, size, and quickness of muscle fiber recruitment. |
| SPOTTER | One or more individuals that aid in the saftey, positioning, and performance of a weight resistance exercise. |
| STAIRCASE EFFECT | A condition in which a succession of individual muscle twitches produce greater and greater degrees of contraction. |
| STATIC | Without any movement. |
| STICKING POINT | The area in a range of motion where the resistance is furthest away from the center of gravity. |
| STROKE VOLUME | The amount of blood ejected by a ventricle of the heart with one beat. |
T to W Words
| 14 WORDS | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| TARGET HEART RATE | The precise amount of heart beats per minute appropriate for aerobic conditioning based on age, gender, body weight, and VO2 max. |
| TESTOSTERONE | Male growth hormone responsible for muscle growth and masculine characteristics (facial hair, deep voice, aggressiveness, ect.). |
| TRAINING HEART RATE | The minimum heart rate required to produce an aerobic steady state. |
| TRAINING HEART RATE RANGE | The range of heart beats per minute appropriate for aerobic conditioning based on age, gender, body weight, and VO2 max. |
| TROPOMYOSIN | A long threadlike protein that circles actin filaments and covers binding sites receptive to myosin cross bridges. |
| TROPONIN | A protein that works with calcium when muscle fiber is stimulated, helping to set the contractile mechanism into action. |
| TWITCH | A simple muscle contraction lasting only a fraction of a second. |
| VARIATION | The use of alternating similar exercises on a monthly bases. |
| VO2 MAX | The maximum oxygen uptake; measured during exercise and expressed in kilograms per minute. |
| WARM-UP | Low-level exercises used to increase the muscle temperature and/or stretch the muscles prior to strenuous activity. |
| WATT | A unit of power equal to about 6 kilogram-meters per minute. |
| WEIGHTLIFT | A competitive athletic sport in which the winner is selected by lifting the most weight resistance one time in the snatch and clean with jerk exercises. |
| WORK | Effort expended to accomplish something (force times distance). |
| WORKLOAD | The total of resistance as measured by time and/or effort into days, weeks, or months. |
