Physical Preparation

Physical Preparation

1. Looks at whether the body is physically prepared for particular sports and levels.

2. PRE-SCREENING

   • stage 1- Prescreening questionnaire
     • can be completed with a professional or self-administered.
     • to identify those individuals with a known disease, or signs or symptoms of disease, who may be at a higher risk of an adverse event during physical activity/exercise
     • 7 questions
       • Has your doctor ever told you that you have a heart condition or have you ever suffered a stroke?
       • Do you ever experience unexplained pains in your chest at rest or during physical activity/exercise?
       • Do you ever feel faint or have spells of dizziness during physical activity/exercise that causes you to lose balance
       • Have you had an asthma attack requiring immediate medical attention at any time over the last 12 months?
       • If you have diabetes (type I or type II) have you had trouble controlling your blood glucose in the last 3 months?
       • Do you have any diagnosed muscle, bone or joint problems that you have been told could be made worse by participating in physical activity/exercise?
       • Do you have any other medical condition(s) that may make it dangerous for you to participate in physical activity/exercise?
   • Stage 2 pre-screening questionnaire
     • to identify those individuals with risk factors or other conditions to assist with appropriate exercise prescription,
     • has 12 questions that look at family history, behavioural risk factors, and underlying medical conditions such as hypertension that could make exercise more risky.
   • Stage 3 pre-screening measurements
     • to obtain pre-exercise baseline measurements of other recognised cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.
     • measurements taken include
       • BMI
       • Waist girth
       • resting blood pressure
       • fasting lipid profile
       • fasting blood glucose
   • enhances the well-being of the athlete, because it helps guide the exercise professional in exercise prescription that caters to the specific needs of the individual
   • ensures those who are at high risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke during exercise are first cleared by their medical practitioner, and have correct supervision and prescription of exercise to avoid harm

3. SKILL AND TECHNIQUE

   • vital for sports participation safety. High level skill and good technique help prevent injury and enhance the well-being of the athlete.
   • three stages of skill acquisition: cognitive, associative, and autonomous.
   • For example, an unskilled football player, may be dribbling a soccer ball looking down the whole time and collide with a defender, or even his own player resulting in an injury. Or he may be distracted and step on the ball spraining his ankle.
   • Poor technique leads to higher injury rates, especially overuse injuries. Good technique, on the other hand, protects against injury and produces a better performance
   • This means they can produce more power, and greater accuracy with less effort. This protects against injury.
   • For example, a tennis player with good technique for their serve is more consistent with their first serves, but also suffers less injury because they are putting less strain on their body. This prevents injury to the back or shoulder.
   • A player with poor technique generates unnatural forces that pull the body or its joints in directs they are not designed for. This is non-efficient movement, requiring greater effort from the athlete and causing more injuries

4. refers to the athlete’s skill execution and technique.

5. Poor technique leads to injury and needs to be corrected in order for the athlete to be prepared for training or competition

6. also important to examine the physical fitness levels required for the competition and training schedule. Athlete’s should have the right fitness levels