Question #2 (1 Viewer)

[Kutay]

"Asses the ways in which altitude training and accilmatisation can influence the physiological preparation and performance of an endurance athelte (15 marks)"

 

[sally_33]

"Assess the ways in which altitude training and accilmatisation can influence the physiological preparation and performance of an endurance athelte (15 marks)"

This is a past HSC question so you could first read the markers comments:

In part (b), most candidates were able to discuss some aspects of both physiological preparation and acclimatisation. The majority of candidates described acclimatisation in terms of adaptation to altitude only, neglecting to discuss the body’s mechanisms of dealing with heat loss and heat gain.

High-range responses provided an in-depth assessment of both altitude training and acclimatisation. Many provided an in-depth anaylsis of physiology and supported this with good examples and assessment of the impact of both on performance.
‘Altitude training provides the athlete with an increase in blood volume and haemoglobin levels increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. However, because of hypoxia at altitude the athlete must reduce training intensity and this could have a negative impact upon endurance performance’.

Mid-range responses tended to address either altitude or acclimatisation with depth in one area only. These candidates also tended to simply use altitude as their example of acclimatisation; ‘Altitude training will increase your stroke volume and cardiac output. You will be able to compete better if you acclimatise to the thinner air at altitude before you compete’.

Low-range responses were very general and tended to focus on training for endurance performance. They used the appropriate terminology but neglected to link it to performance in any detail and made little in the way of assessment related to endurance performance.

So obviously the bit about high range responses is what you want to be aiming for.

Make sure you identify what an endurance athlete is, as the question all comes back to how these effect an endurance athlete. Give an example, such as a long-distance swimmer, and keep referring to this athlete in your response.

Refer to your textbook for information about acclimatisation and altitude training, but if its not a good textbook post here and i can type up a bit on each as ive got a couple of textbooks

hope this helps a bit