Muscles, movement and exercise physiology

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Describe the gross and microscopic structure of skeletal muscle, including muscle fibres, myofibrils, actin, myosin, sarcomeres, the sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubules.
Explain muscle contraction using the sliding filament theory, including the roles of calcium ions, troponin, tropomyosin, actin-myosin cross-bridges, ATP hydrolysis and the re-cocking of myosin heads.

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Apply knowledge of antagonistic muscles to explain movement at synovial joints, including the roles of flexors, extensors, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the sequence of contraction and relaxation.

Explain how neuromuscular junctions initiate contraction in muscle fibres, linking nerve impulses to depolarisation of the sarcolemma and calcium ion release.

Interpret data on the effects of exercise on the body, including changes in heart rate, ventilation rate, tidal volume, oxygen consumption, temperature and recovery.

Explain the physiological basis of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, oxygen debt or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, and the training effects on muscles, the cardiovascular system and gas exchange.

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