Year 10 Paper 5: Physical Training Focus
Covers the muscular and cardiorespiratory systems and movement analysis alongside the three physical training topics: components of fitness, training principles and fitness testing data.
Year 10 here means a typical teaching order, not a syllabus rule. No exam board defines what belongs to Year 10, and schools sequence the course differently. Check it against your own scheme of work before using it to decide what a class has covered.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Components of Fitness
A powerlifter attempts to lift the heaviest possible barbell for a single deadlift repetition.
Name the health-related component of fitness most needed for this lift, and give its definition.
Question 2 [2 marks]
Principles of Training and Injury Prevention
A coach adjusts a swimmer's training programme using the FITT principle.
State what the letters T and T stand for in FITT.
Question 3 [4 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
Deoxygenated blood returning from the body arrives at the heart before being sent on to the lungs.
Name the chamber that deoxygenated blood first enters and the vessel it arrives through, then name the chamber it is pumped from towards the lungs and the vessel that carries it there.
Question 4 [4 marks]
The Muscular System
A sprinter drives her leg powerfully backward and downward against the blocks at the start of a race.
Name the muscle at the back of the hip that contracts to extend the hip during this drive, state whether it is the agonist or antagonist, and explain why this muscle is especially important during the initial acceleration phase of a sprint.
Question 5 [4 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
Five players record these vertical jump heights, in cm, during a testing session: 38, 45, 41, 52, 43.
Arrange the data in order and identify the median jump height, then explain one reason a coach might prefer to use the median rather than the mean for this data set.
Question 6 [4 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A rounders bowler swings her whole straight arm through a full circle, low to high to low again, before releasing the ball underarm.
Name the plane and axis of rotation used by the arm during this bowling action, and explain why swinging the arm through a full circle, rather than a shorter arc, could help her release the ball at a higher speed.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Components of Fitness
A basketball player dodges past a defender by suddenly changing direction while sprinting.
Identify the skill-related component of fitness shown, and explain the difference between this component and speed.
Question 8 [4 marks]
Principles of Training and Injury Prevention
A runner increases the distance of her long run by a small amount each week as part of her marathon training.
Explain what is meant by the principle of progressive overload, and describe one risk of not applying it correctly.
Question 9 [4 marks]
The Muscular System
A marathon runner and a 100 m sprinter both have well developed leg muscles, but the muscle fibres they rely on most are different.
Compare one characteristic of slow twitch muscle fibres with one characteristic of fast twitch muscle fibres, and explain why each athlete relies more on one type.
Question 10 [5 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A coach records the number of press-ups eight athletes complete in one minute: 32, 28, 41, 35, 30, 27, 44, 39.
Calculate the mean number of press-ups for the squad, giving your answer to 1 decimal place, and calculate the range of the data.
Question 11 [5 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A trampolinist performs a skill combining a forward somersault with a half twist of her body, all within one movement.
Identify the plane and axis used for the somersaulting part of this skill, and identify the plane and axis used for the twisting part.
Question 12 [6 marks]
Components of Fitness
A judoka must generate explosive power to execute a throw, but also needs good balance and coordination to control her opponent's fall and her own body position throughout.
Explain which components of fitness this judoka relies on most during the throw, and how each one contributes to a successful, controlled technique.
Question 13 [6 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A high jumper uses the Fosbury flop technique, curving her run-up before taking off, arching her back as she clears the bar, and rotating to land on her shoulders.
Identify the plane and axis mainly used as she arches her back over the bar, and explain how the curved run-up contributes to the rotation needed to go over the bar backwards.
Question 14 [6 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
Blood must travel back up from a runner's legs to her heart against gravity, even though veins carry blood at much lower pressure than arteries.
Explain two mechanisms that help venous return during exercise, and explain why efficient venous return is important for maintaining cardiac output.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| strength | B1 |
| a correct definition, e.g. the maximum force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single effort | B1 |
| Final answer: Strength - the maximum force a muscle group can exert in one maximal effort | |
| Question 2[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the first T = time (the duration of a training session) | B1 |
| the second T = type (the type/mode of training/exercise performed) | B1 |
| Final answer: T = time (duration), T = type (mode of exercise) | |
| Question 3[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| right atrium | B1 |
| vena cava | B1 |
| right ventricle | B1 |
| pulmonary artery | B1 |
| Final answer: Right atrium (via the vena cava), then right ventricle (via the pulmonary artery to the lungs) | |
| Question 4[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| gluteals (gluteus maximus) | B1 |
| agonist (prime mover) | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. powerful hip extension against the blocks generates much of the force needed to accelerate quickly out of the blocks | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this muscle is especially important because the whole body's weight must be driven forward from a stationary start | B1 |
| Final answer: Gluteals (gluteus maximus), the agonist extending the hip to generate driving force out of the blocks | |
| Question 5[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| arranging the values in order, 38, 41, 43, 45, 52 | M1 |
| identifying the median as 43 cm (the middle value) | A1 |
| a correct reason, e.g. the median is not affected by one unusually high or low value (an outlier), unlike the mean | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. if one player's score were much higher or lower than the rest, it would change the mean considerably but the median would stay the same or change very little | B1 |
| Final answer: Median = 43 cm; the median is less affected than the mean by an unusually high or low result | |
| Question 6[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the sagittal plane | B1 |
| the transverse axis | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. a longer path (full circle) gives more time and distance over which to accelerate the arm before release | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this allows a greater final speed to be generated at the hand and ball at the point of release | B1 |
| Final answer: Sagittal plane, transverse axis; the longer circular path gives more time and distance to accelerate the arm, increasing release speed | |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| agility | B1 |
| a correct definition of agility, e.g. the ability to change the position of the body quickly and control the movement of the whole body | B1 |
| a correct definition of speed, e.g. the maximum rate at which a person is able to move over a set distance | B1 |
| a clear comparison, e.g. speed is moving quickly in a straight line, whereas agility also needs a quick change of direction with control | B1 |
| Final answer: Agility - changing direction quickly and with control, unlike speed which is straight-line pace | |
| Question 8[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| overload meaning the demands of training are gradually increased (through FITT) so the body works harder than it is used to | B1 |
| progressive meaning this increase happens gradually over time, rather than all at once | B1 |
| a correct reason this causes adaptation, e.g. the body adapts to cope with the increased demand, improving fitness | B1 |
| a correct risk if applied incorrectly, e.g. increasing training too quickly can lead to overtraining or injury | B1 |
| Final answer: Progressive overload means gradually increasing training demands over time; increasing it too quickly risks overtraining or injury | |
| Question 9[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| slow twitch fibres being more resistant to fatigue and suited to low intensity, long duration work | B1 |
| the marathon runner relying more on slow twitch fibres, as the event needs sustained aerobic effort over a long time | B1 |
| fast twitch fibres contracting more quickly and forcefully but fatiguing faster | B1 |
| the sprinter relying more on fast twitch fibres, as the event needs a short burst of maximum power | B1 |
| Final answer: Marathon runner: slow twitch (fatigue resistant, aerobic); sprinter: fast twitch (fast, powerful, fatigues quickly) | |
| Question 10[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the eight values, total = 276 | M1 |
| dividing the total by 8 | M1 |
| mean = 34.5 press-ups | A1 |
| finding highest minus lowest, 44 - 27 | M1 |
| range = 17 press-ups | A1 |
| Final answer: Mean = 34.5 press-ups; range = 17 press-ups | |
| Question 11[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the sagittal plane (somersault) | B1 |
| the transverse axis (somersault) | B1 |
| the transverse plane (twist) | B1 |
| the longitudinal axis (twist) | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. the two rotations happen around different axes at around the same time, showing a single skill can combine more than one plane and axis | B1 |
| Final answer: Somersault: sagittal plane, transverse axis; twist: transverse plane, longitudinal axis - both occurring together in the one skill | |
| Question 12[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| power, needed to generate enough force quickly to unbalance and lift the opponent | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. without sufficient power the throw would be too slow, giving the opponent time to resist or counter | B1 |
| balance, needed to keep her own centre of mass over her base of support while off-balancing her opponent | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. losing her own balance during the throw could mean the technique fails or she is countered | B1 |
| coordination, needed to combine the pulling, turning and leg action of the throw smoothly together | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. these components combine to let her execute a fast, controlled and technically correct throw rather than an uncontrolled, ineffective one | B1 |
| Final answer: Power, balance and coordination, each essential to generate, control and safely complete the throw | |
| Question 13[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the sagittal plane being mainly used as she arches her back | B1 |
| the transverse axis being the axis of this rotation (hyperextension of the spine) | B1 |
| a correct description of the arching action, e.g. hyperextension of the spine and hips lets her clear the bar while her centre of mass stays lower than her body | B1 |
| the curved run-up creating rotational force (angular momentum) as she runs around the curve and drives off one leg | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. this rotational force carries over into the take-off, helping turn her body so her back, rather than her front, faces the bar | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. without the curved approach generating this rotation, she would not turn to face away from the bar in time to arch backward over it | B1 |
| Final answer: The back arches mainly in the sagittal plane about the transverse axis; the curved run-up generates rotational force that carries into take-off, turning her body to go over the bar backwards | |
| Question 14[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the skeletal muscle pump, where contracting leg muscles squeeze the veins running through them, helping push blood back towards the heart | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this effect increases during exercise as the muscles contract more frequently and forcefully | B1 |
| one-way (pocket) valves in the veins, which stop blood flowing backward, away from the heart, between contractions | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this ensures blood keeps moving in one direction, towards the heart, despite the low pressure in the veins | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the importance to cardiac output, e.g. cardiac output depends on stroke volume, which depends on enough blood returning to (filling) the heart between beats | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. without efficient venous return, stroke volume and therefore cardiac output would fall, reducing the oxygen delivered to the working muscles | B1 |
| Final answer: The skeletal muscle pump and one-way valves in the veins help return blood to the heart against gravity; efficient venous return keeps the heart adequately filled, maintaining stroke volume and cardiac output | |