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Glossary of Fitness Terms
Aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness
Reflects how much oxygen is in the blood your heart pumps and
transports to your working muscles, as well as the muscles' efficiency in using
that oxygen.
Aerobic
metabolism
A cellular process by which the
body uses oxygen to produce energy.
Aerobic training
Training that
improves cardiorespiratory endurance by improving the efficiency of the body's
aerobic energy-producing systems.
Aerobic
training heart rate zones
Includes the three
lowest heart rate training zones: Light Intensity zone (50-60 % HRmax), Light
to Moderate Intensity zone (60-70% HRmax) and Moderate Intensity zone (70-85%
HRmax).
See also Target heart rate zone.
Anaerobic
In the
absence of oxygen.
Anaerobic threshold
The physiological point during exercise at
which the muscles start using more oxygen than the body can transport, and as a
result, the work of the muscles starts producing more lactic acid than the body
can process.
Anaerobic
training
Training for very fit individuals
that improves the efficiency of the body's anaerobic energy-producing systems
and can increase muscular strength and lactic acid tolerance during
high-intensity efforts.
Artery
Blood vessel that conveys
oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all parts of the body.
Atherosclerosis
A
disease in which the arteries progressively narrow.
Average heart rate
The heart
rate (beats per minute, or bpm) that represents the average value of heart
rates measured over a period of time, for example, during an exercise
session.
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Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
The
lowest rate of body metabolism (rate of energy use) that can sustain life,
measured after a full night's sleep in a laboratory under optimal conditions of
quiet, rest and relaxation.
Body
composition
Has two components: the amount of
fat mass (weight) and the amount of fat-free mass (muscle, bone, skin and
organs) in the body.
Body mass index
(BMI)
A number that describes a body's
relative weight and strongly correlates to total body fat content in
adults.
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Carbohydrates
An energy source
in the body. At rest, the body derives energy almost equally from the breakdown
of carbohydrates and fats; during exercise, the main energy source depends on
the intensity of the exercise.
Cardiac
muscle
Another term for the heart.
Cardiorespiratory
Affecting the heart and respiratory system.
Cardiorespiratory endurance
The body's ability to sustain prolonged exercise.
Cardiovascular
Affecting the heart and blood vessels.
Circulatory system (cardiovascular system)
The system by which oxygen and other nutrients are delivered
through the blood to the entire body. The heart (cardiac muscle) acts as a pump
to circulate blood through the blood vessels of the body and back to the
heart.
Cool down
Gradually reducing the intensity of exercise for several
minutes at the end of a session to stabilize the cardiovascular system after a
workout.
Coronary artery
disease
Progressive narrowing of the coronary
(heart's) arteries.
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Dehydration
Loss of bodily
fluids.
Diabetes mellitus
A disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by high
blood sugar levels in the body and the presence of sugar in the urine.
Diabetes, Adult-onset
Also called type II diabetes or non-insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). A disease characterized by impaired insulin
secretion from the pancreas or impaired insulin action.
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Electrocardiogram (ECG)
A
recording of the heart's electrical activity.
Endurance
The body's ability to
resist fatigue; includes muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory
endurance.
Endurance activities/endurance
training
Repetitive, aerobic use of large
muscles (as with such activities as walking, cycling, swimming,
etc.).
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Fartlek training (speed play)
Training in which the pace is varied at will, from a fast sprint
to slow jogging.
Fat-free
mass
The mass
(weight) of the body (muscle, bone, skin and organs) that is not
fat.
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Glycogen
The form in which
carbohydrates are stored in the body, mainly in the muscles and the
liver.
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Heart rate
A measurement of the
work done by the heart, most commonly expressed as the number of heart beats
per minute (bpm).
Heart rate variability
Fluctuations of interbeat intervals. Heart
rate variability of a healthy subject is in general large in resting conditions
and during light exercise. Heart rate variability gradually disappears when
exercise becomes more intense and heart rate increases.
Hyperglycemia
An
elevated blood glucose level.
Hypertension
Abnormally high
blood pressure, usually defined as systolic pressure higher than 140 mmHg or
diastolic pressure higher than 90 mmHg.
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Interval training
A workout
session that involves repeated short, fast-paced bouts of exercise separated by
short rest intervals.
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Kilocalorie (kcal)
A measure of
the energy value in food and physical activity. "Kilocalorie" is the more
accurate term for the commonly used abbreviation "calorie."
1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1 Calorie (Cal) = 1000 calories
(cal)
To convert kcal to kilojoules (kJ),
multiply the kcal value by 4.2.
Kilojoule
(kJ)
A measure of the energy value, for
example in food and physical activity.
1
kilojoule (kJ) = 0.238 kilocalories (kcal)
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Lactate
A salt formed from
lactic acid.
See also lactic acid.
Lactate threshold
The
point during increasingly intensive exercise at which blood lactate begins to
accumulate above resting levels.
Lactic
acid
Anaerobic exercise produces lactic acid,
which quickly forms lactate in the muscles, so these terms ("lactate" and
"lactic acid") are often used interchangeably.
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Maximal exercise stress test
A
test performed in laboratory conditions, usually either on stationary bicycle
or treadmill, to measure a person's maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max,). The test also provides a measurement
of the person's maximum
heart rate (HRmax).
Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)
The maximum capacity for oxygen consumption by the body during
maximum exertion. Also known as aerobic power or maximal oxygen
intake/consumption. VO2maxis a commonly used descriptor of aerobic
(cardiovascular) fitness. Aerobic fitness relates to how well your
cardiovascular system works to transport and utilize oxygen in your body. The
better your aerobic fitness the higher your VO2max. The most accurate way to
receive your VO2max is to have it clinically tested in maximal exercise stress
test in a laboratory. VO2max is usually expressed in ml*kg-1*min-1, sometimes
in ml*min-1.
Maximum heart rate
(HRmax)
The highest number of heart beats per
minute (bpm) when pushing the body as hard as possible. HRmax-p score (in all
Polar S-series Heart Rate Monitors) predicts your individual maximum heart
rate. The most accurate way of determining your individual HRmax is to have it
clinically measured in maximal exercise stress test in a laboratory. HRmax is a
useful tool for determining the intensity of exercise.
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Overtraining
The attempt to do
more work than the body can physically tolerate.
OwnCal
A feature on some Polar
Heart Rate Monitors that tracks both the energy expended (in kcalories) in a
single exercise session as well as cumulative calories burned on a weekly,
monthly or even yearly basis.
OwnIndex
The result of the Polar
Fitness Test, a value comparable to a person's maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).
OwnZone
A feature on some Polar
Heart Rate Monitors that automatically calculates the individual target heart
rate zone (65-85% HRmax) for improving cardiovascular/aerobic fitness.
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Physical activity
Any movement
of the body produced by the muscles that results in increased energy
expenditure.
Polar Fitness
Test
A fitness test that measures a person's
aerobic/cardiovascular fitness at rest in just five minutes. The result, Polar
OwnIndex, predicts the person's maximal oxygen uptake
(VO2max).
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Resistance training
Weight
training. Training designed to increase the body's strength, power, and
muscular endurance.
Resting heart rate
(HRrest)
The number of heart beats in one
minute (bpm) when a person is at complete rest. A person's HRrest decreases as
they become more fit.
Resting metabolic
rate (RMR)
The body's metabolic rate (rate of
energy use) early in the morning after an overnight fast and a full eight
hours' sleep.
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Tapering
A reduction in training
intensity before a major competition to give the body and mind a break from the
rigors of intensive training.
Target
heart rate zone
A range of heart rates that
a person chooses to aim for when exercising, based on their personal fitness
goals. Target heart rate zones are expressed as percentages of a
person's maximum heart rate
(HRmax).
The most common target heart rate zones are: Light Intensity
zone (50-60 % HRmax), Light to Moderate Intensity zone (60-70% HRmax), Moderate
Intensity zone (70-85% HRmax) and Heavy Intensity zone (85-100%
HRmax).
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VO2
Oxygen consumption/uptake by
the body. Usually expressed in mlkg-1min-1, sometimes in mlmin-1.
VO2max
See
maximal oxygen uptake
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Warm-up
A period (usually three
to 15 minutes) of easy exercising at the beginning of the workout to gradually
ease the body into more intensive exercise. |
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