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Essay about P4, M1 and D1

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P4 - Describe the function of the muscular system and the different fibre types

M1 – Explain the function of the muscular system and the different fibre types

D1 – Analyse the function of the muscular system and the different fibre types

Antagonistic Pairs

Antagonistic Pairs are a pair of muscles working together to allow coordinated movement of the skeletal joints. Muscles can only exert a force and do work by contracting. An example is the antagonistic pair of muscles used in bending and straightening the arm. To bend the arm requires the biceps to contract, while the triceps relax. If the arm is to be straightened, the reverse happens. The individual components of antagonistic pairs can be classified into extensors and …show more content…

To perform isokinetic contractions expensive equipment is needed that increases the load as the muscle contraction speed increases.

Fibre type

Muscles are made up of small fibres that contract making the whole muscle contract. There are three types of muscle fibre; Type 1, Type 2a and Type 2b. All individuals have a combination of all fibre types and their combination of fibre types is genetically determined. Different parts of the body have different combinations of fibre types.

Type 1

These are the smallest of the muscle fibres. These will be red in colour as they have a good blood supply and will also have a dense network of blood vessels. They also contain many mitochondria to make them more efficient at producing energy using oxygen. They contract slowly and also fatigue slowly suiting them best to aerobic endurance activities such as the 10,000m. These fibres are most effective during the middle part of the race when the athlete has found a constant speed, allowing the muscles to work for longer, as they are not being over-exerted. This is because they give there energy over a long period of time allowing the athlete to run for a sustained period of time. They are also slow to fatigue because they have an incredibly high aerobic capacity, meaning the athlete will be able to run long distances without feeling tired. To be able run a long distances, the

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