HEALTH- OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION

(HOPE 1)

Proper Etiquette and Safety in the Use of Facilities and Equipment

When engaged in training and exercise, a lot of the activities make use of the school
facilities and equipment. The following guidelines need to be followed in order to allow
everyone a fair, orderly, maximal, and safe usage, and avoid equipment hugging, lessen
chaotic movement of students and equipment, and prevent possible accidents:
1. Take care in using facilities and equipment.
2. Use only the equipment that you already know how to operate.
3. Be alert and aware in the training area.
4. In performing exercises and movement in general, practice good form first.
5. Bring back all equipment in place after use.
6. Do not hug the equipment.
7. Return the equipment properly, and leave the venue clean.
8. Check yourself- practice proper personal hygiene and care.
9. Move on the double; do not loiter around the venue or hang on to equipment doing
nothing.
10. As a general rule, always be nice.

Optimization of Energy Systems

The body needs energy to function, even during sleep and rest. During exercise,
energy must be produced at a faster rate as compared to its resting rate. With different forms
of activity, muscles are used, and the heart compensates by beating faster to deliver oxygen
to the whole body. For all these functions, it is needed. Energy comes from what we eat in the
forms of:
1. carbohydrates;
2. fat; and
3. protein

Carbohydrates
Our muscles live and store carbohydrates in what is known as glycogen. Glycogen is
used as fuel by the whole body when it is broken down as glucose.

Fat
Fat is stored under our skin or adipose tissue. It serves as insulation for the body to
prevent heat loss. Fat, or triglyceride, serves as fuel too when it is broken down into two types
of molecules – glycerol and fatty acids. Energy is released when these are broken down.

Protein
One of our fundamental building blocks is protein. This is used for the repair and growth
of body tissue. It is not normally stored in the body the carbohydrates and fat are. Only when
in excess will protein be stored and converted as a fat. Energy can also be produced when
protein is broken down, but this only happens in prolonged endurance events such as
marathons.
The ATP Cycle
When carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are broken down, they produce a substance
called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the energy fuel of the body for all its functions,
such as the manufacture and repair of tissue, production of hormones, digestion, and
transmission of nerve impulses, among others. ATP is made up of adenosine and three
phosphate groups. As the three phosphates are in a special high- energy bond, the breaking
of one of the phosphate bonds results in energy. When this occurs in a muscle cell, mechanical
work is generated and the muscle contracts. Heat is a by- product of this process, and this is
the reason one heats up in exercise. Losing a phosphate, ATP becomes ADP (adenosine
diphosphate). ADP is resynthesized back to ATP by gaining back a phosphate in a couple
reaction. It is the cycle which produces energy for the body.

The Phosphocreatine Energy System

This system is used for instantaneous activity lasting several seconds. In this system,
a fuel called creatine phosphate is used to make ATP. Only in limited amounts, when creatine
phosphate is broken down, the energy from this process is immediately used to reproduce
ATP. This process is in use when you need an explosive action, such as dashing away from
a mad dog. In sports, this system is used in the 100 and 200-meter dash, shot put, and discus
throwing. This energy system backs up ATP immediately, as it rapidly synthesizes ADP back
to ATP. However, since there is a limited stock of creatine phosphate, ATP production will
have to rely on other sources such as glycogen and fat.

The Lactic Acid Energy System

When glycogen is used without oxygen to produce ATP, such a system is called the
lactic acid system. The muscles have glycogen stored in small amounts, and this is broken
down to a substance known as pyruvate, and then to ATP, leaving a by- product called lactic
acid. An excess in lactic acid leads to muscular fatigue. The lactic acid system can sustain
quick bursts of high intensity activity, up to 90 seconds. Activities such as resistance training,
or similar activities with eight to twelve repetitions until muscular failure, or running the 400 to
800-meter event, utilizes this energy system. There are two limitations of this energy system:
one, limited glycogen stores in muscles; and two, the excessive lactic acid build- up of
converting glycogen to ATP without oxygen may lead to fatigue.

The Aerobic Energy System

The aerobic energy system makes use of oxygen with glucose, fatty acids, and even
amino acids to produce energy. The process of energy production occurs in the mitochondria,
which is inside the muscle cells. Therefore, the mitochondria is dubbed the “powerhouse” of
the cell. The mitochondria contain enzymes that enable the cell to use oxygen to produce
ATP. In the aerobic system, large quantities of ATP are produced, and the by- products are
carbon dioxide and water. This energy system sustains prolonged activities such as walking,
jogging, swimming, cycling, and circuit- based weight training. With aerobic activities, the body
adapts by producing a greater number of mitochondria and fat- oxidizing enzymes; therefore,
the body becomes efficient in transporting and oxidizing fatty acids. Aerobic activities,
therefore, can help reduce or control body fat. Fat occurs in greater quantities than glycogen.
Therefore, endurance activities are designed to be less intense, but prolonged, as the aerobic
energy system takes longer for the ATP to be replenished.
Health Behaviors, Health Risks Factors, and Physical Activity (PA) Performance
Health Behaviors
Behaviors that affect health come from good eating habits, getting enough sleep, and
the ability to manage stress.
1. Eating Behavior
One receives proper nutrition through the care we give to our diet. The caloric
daily requirement of an average teenager is approximately 2200 calories a day. This
should come from a choice of foods that will provide proper sustenance for the body.
Minerals such as iron, iodine, and zinc are trace elements found in green leafy
vegetables, seafood, liver, and cereals. Iron can also be found in meat, fish, chicken,
and whole grain, and enriched breads and cereals. Other vitamins can be found from
these sources.

2. Sleep
Rest, sleep, and relaxation are important in maintaining one’s health as well.
Approximately, eight hours of sleep is needed by an individual. However, young
children tend to sleep a bit more and even take short naps, while older people tend to
have shorter sleeping hours. Sleep removes fatigue. It is also during sleep that muscle
repair occurs.

3. Stress Management
Stress is experienced when demands are placed on someone who finds it hard
to comply with these demands. Events such as death in the family, divorce, job- related
concerns, and other problems may cause stress. Post- traumatic stress is stress
caused by an unnaturally traumatic experience, leading to the disruption of a person’s
ability to cope and function effectively. Chronic stress occurs when someone
experiences repeated and continuing demands that inhibit the person’s functions.
Exercise relieves stress and reduces anxiety and depression as well. It serves as a
diversion for a person to relax. Feelings such as anger, fear, and frustration are also
reduced with exercise.

Health Risk Factors

There are several known risk factors to watch out for. These are family history,
cigarette smoking, hypertension (or high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (or high
cholesterol count), impaired fasting glucose levels (high blood sugar levels), obesity, and
sedentary lifestyle (physical inactivity).

Physical Activity Performance

Physical activity performance is directly related to eating behaviors, sleep, relaxation,
stress management, and health risk factors. Proper eating behaviors affect one’s physical
performance level as nutrition affects energy systems directly. Sleep and relaxation function
to relieve fatigue. Another way to recuperate from fatigue is to perform well in physical
activities. Exercise relieves stress in many ways, as well as reduces health risks such as
hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity. It
also reverses the sedentary lifestyle.
Types of Eating (Fueling for Performance, Emotional eating, Social Eating, and Eating
while Watching Television or Sports Events)
There are several types of eating. Athletes usually practice proper nutrition through
this type of eating called fueling for performance. In this type of eating, the athlete carefully
selects food that is beneficial for the sport that he/she is preparing for. Today, carbohydrate-
loading is popular with some athletes. An athlete who engages in carb- or carbo- loading
makes sure that he or she eats an ample amount of carbohydrates so as to be prepared to
participate in strenuous activities like aerobics and marathon.
On the other hand, emotional eating, social eating, and eating while watching are types
of unhealthy eating. Emotional eating occurs when a person, in an effort to relieve stress and
negative emotions due to certain life events, transforms eating into an outlet. While it may
relieve a certain level of stress, excessive emotional eating could lead to fat deposits. Social
eating, such as eating in parties or other gatherings, may impel a person to overeat as parties
usually extend for hours. Besides hefty servings and proportions, party food is more appetizing
than regular meals. Eating in front of the television or while watching sports events may yet
be another cause of an unchecked diet.

How to Self- Assess Health- Related Fitness (HRF) Status, Barriers to Physical Activity
Participation, and One’s Diet

Health- Related Fitness

Health- related fitness is composed of the following components:
1. body composition
2. muscular endurance
3. cardiorespiratory endurance
4. muscular strength
5. flexibility

Body composition (also known as body fat percent) refers to the ratio between lean
body mass and fat body mass. The traditional method of measuring body fat is through the
skinfold measurements. A caliper is used to measure skinfolds in these areas: chest (diagonal
skinfold); midaxilla (vertical skinfold); triceps (vertical skinfold); subscapula (diagonal skinfold);
abdomen (vertical skinfold); suprailium (diagonal skinfold); thigh (vertical skinfold); ad medial
calf (vertical skinfold). The values from the various skinfold areas are then computed and
compared using a table. In the absence of a caliper, simple girth measurements may also be
made. Using a measuring tape, the circumferences of the abdominal area, hip, iliac, and waist
are measured. A waist- to- hip ratio is then generated to determine lower, moderately high, to
high risk individuals.
Muscular endurance tests also measure muscular strength. In these tests, the weights
are lower and therefore the repetitions are higher (as compared to muscular strength tests).
These are better suited for people with health conditions, or those who are coming from a
sedentary lifestyle. The push- up test and the half sit- up test are examples of this type of
testing.
Cardiorespiratory endurance is tested indirectly using estimation. Response to
submaximal workload heart rate is used to estimate maximal oxygen uptake. This means that
using a less than a hundred percent effort, the heart rate produced is then taken and a formula
is used to compute the full uptake of oxygen in exercise. There are several methods to perform
this: the YMCA Submaximal Bicycle Test, the Ross Submaximal Treadmill Protocol, the YMCA
Submaximal Step Test, the McArdle Step Test, the Rockport Fitness Walking Test, and the
BYU Jog Test.
Muscular strength refers to the greatest amount of force that can be generated from a
single maximal effort. A popular test of strength is the 1 RM (or the 1 repetition maximum).
Using weights, the person is tested on how heavy he or she can lift. However, this is not
advisable for beginners as it may cause injury. Therefore, what is safer to measure is what a
person can lift with 10 repetitions. This represents 75% of what he can lift in one repetition.
Flexibility refers to the range of motion of a joint. It is a part of fitness, since a lot of
moves are affected by the flexibility of a person. The movements assessed for flexibility of
joints are trunk flexion (using the sit and reach test); trunk extension (measuring the backward
bend); hip flexion (testing the range of motion of the hips and hamstrings); and shoulder
flexibility (looking at the multi- rotational components of the shoulder joints).

Barriers to Physical Activity Participation and One’s Diet

A student can be limited from engaging in physical activity for several reasons. First,
there might be previous injuries that impair the student’s movement. Second, engaging in
these preferred forms of activities is a bit pricy — there are expenses involved, such as the
purchase of uniforms and equipment, transportation, and the actual training fee itself. Third, a
student’s schedule is also a factor to consider. Priorities, such as studies and family life, may
also impede a student from participating in activities.
Barriers to a proper diet are the following: lack of self- discipline (some cannot control
their urge to eat unhealthy food); insufficient time to prepare your own food (the best way for
dieting is to prepare your own healthy food by choosing the right proportion of fresh and
healthy ingredients), limited budget (sometimes the unhealthy foods are the cheaper priced
options); and the limited options (usually you have no control over what is regularly sold in the
cafeteria).