There are many ways in which a sound knowledge of anatomy and physiology can be applied within a sports science and exercise context. In this essay, it will explore the ways in which anatomy and physiology are best applied in football, both generally and in my own performance. Throughout the essay, there will be four main topics of anatomy and physiology which can be applied to football. These four areas will include; the muscles used when kicking a ball, homeostasis, the cardiovascular system, and the central nervous system. For each of these four areas, there will be information about them and the specific concepts concerned with football. Also, the ways in which these concepts can help improve football players practice and performance.
In the human body, there are many muscles used during football. When kicking a football there are three main muscles used in the legs; The quadriceps, the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus. Each muscle has a very important role when performing this movement. The quadriceps and the hamstrings work together as an antagonistic muscle group when kicking a football on the leg of the player that he/she will be kicking with. An antagonistic muscle group is when one muscle contracts the other relaxes. The muscle that is contracting is called the agonist and the muscle that is lengthening is referred to as the antagonist. When the football player is just about to kick the ball, the knee is flexed as the hamstring contracts and the quadriceps lengthen, then when the ball is being struck the quadriceps contract and the hamstrings lengthen. It isn’t just the muscles in the kicking leg that are used in this movement; there are muscles on the other leg which also play an important role in ensuring the kick is performed effectively and efficiently. This muscle is called the gluteus maximus which is the largest muscle in the body. The gluteus maximus is where a lot of the tension will be placed when kicking a ball, they help extend and rotate the hip when the movement is being performed. Having a good understanding of which muscles are used when kicking a ball, allows either the coaches or the players themselves to design certain training exercises that will ensure that the movement can be performed effectively and efficiently and give an advantage to the player. Exercises that could be used for strengthening the quadriceps could be squats and leg extensions, and exercises that would strengthen the hamstrings could be hamstring curls and also squats. By doing these exercises and strengthening the muscles it will mean that when the player is kicking the ball he/she will be able to generate more power in their shots and therefore be more likely to score. Exercises to strengthen the gluteus maximus could include squats and glute raises. By doing these exercises the gluteus maximus will be stronger which means when the player is kicking the ball they will have more stability and also there will be less risk of injury. This is important in football because the player will be able to take shots and play passes with more accuracy which means the player will have a bigger positive influence on the game. Also, having a strong gluteus maximus means that it can take more of the tension and so less of the tension will be on the hip flexor. Strong gluteus maximus muscles will help the player reduce the risk of injury and as a result, allow him / her to play more games throughout the season.
At all times during life, the body is working to maintain its optimum condition to ensure it can process properly and efficiently. In football, the body does the same thing in trying to maintain its optimum condition when there are changes to the body throughout the performance, this is called homeostasis. During a football game, there are lots of changes to your body, one of which is the change in body temperature. When the player uses energy the body temperature can rise above the optimum temperature and so to maintain the optimum temperature the blood vessels in the skin dilate which means there will be an increased blood flow so the heat can be ejected from the surface of the body and homeostasis can be maintained; a process commonly called sweating. By maintaining an optimum temperature throughout the game, the player will feel less discomfort. As a result, they will be able to maintain a higher level of focus on the game which, assuming no other offsetting conditions, will allow them to perform to the best of their ability. Another way in which homeostasis is maintained during a football game is by keeping hydrated. By staying hydrated the player won’t have a reduced level of blood volume and so the player’s blood flow will not be at risk of slowing down. If the player did not stay hydrated throughout his / her performance they could experience a decrease in their ability, for example, their endurance and strength could be reduced. Staying hydrated during the game means that the player will feel like he / she has more strength and endurance meaning they can have more involvement in the game, for example, making more bursts into the box to get on the end of a cross played in by the winger or being strong in a 50/50 tackle to ensure they win the ball and stop the opposition from scoring.
Another part of anatomy and physiology that is important in a football context is the cardiovascular system, in particular, a player’s heart rate. Whenever a football player is in a training session or a game, their heart rate will increase. Heart rate is defined as the number of heart beats in one minute and so when the player has started performing the number of beats will be greater than when they first started. Everybody has a maximum heart rate and one way to calculate this is 220 minus (-) age. Heart rate does not only increase by doing an increased workload, but it can also be raised when a player feels anxious and is experiencing lots of nerves. The heart rate is increased when a chemical called adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. The heart will start beating faster and a lot stronger. This causes there to be a higher rate of blood pressure and so there will be more oxygen for the muscles that are being used. When this occurs during a performance in football the player will have more oxygen to his / her working muscles which means they will have more energy to perform better. For example, when I was playing in an important match for my football team I experienced a surge of adrenaline near the end of the game. It was caused by a bad tackle on me, with which I was extremely annoyed and angry, resulting in adrenaline being released into my bloodstream. This caused me to have more energy when other players were tired and so I was able to use that as an advantage in my strength and also my stamina. I felt completely re-energised and I was able to get to the ball first before my opponent and play a cross into the box which led to my team scoring and winning the match. This shows that when adrenaline is used in a positive way it can have a big impact on the game. By the player knowing that adrenaline can help their performance it can give them an advantage over other players and therefore give the team a better chance of winning. Of course, an adrenaline rush is temporary in nature and can’t be relied on throughout the performance.
The final part of anatomy and physiology in this essay that is important in a football context is the central nervous system. The central nervous system is a control system for the body; it includes the spinal cord and the brain. In football the main part of the central nervous system that is used is the brain; in particular the cerebellum. The cerebellum is one of the biggest parts of the brain and is associated with the regulation of muscular activity and balance. The receptor and effector organs are the parts of the body which collect information (changes in the environment), these are known as the stimuli and then they are turned into electrical impulses which are sent to the central nervous system . The central nervous system collects this information, decides what the appropriate response would be and then sends this back to the effector organs. The central nervous system can be impacted by the type of training a player is doing over many years. A study from Finland came to the conclusion that “prolonged training in a specific sport will cause the central nervous system to program muscle coordination to the demands of that sport”. This is very beneficial to the football player because certain movements and reactions that they will have during the performance will already be programmed to the central nervous system. For example, when the football player has to make contact with the ball when kicking it or when there are fatigue signals near the end of the game. This means that the central nervous system will be able to make sure the player can perform to their highest level of ability and perform the movements efficiently and correctly and ensure the player doesn’t run out of energy, leading to a higher level of performance.
Overall, applying anatomy and physiology theories in a football context can have a positive impact on performance. Throughout this essay, four main parts of anatomy and physiology have been referenced which can be applied in football. These included the muscles used when kicking a ball, homeostasis, the cardiovascular system, and the central nervous system.
The muscles used to kick a ball are important in a football context due to the fact that in a game you use these muscles frequently. As a result, by using training exercises and techniques to improve the strength of these muscles it will improve the player’s performance.
Homeostasis is important in a football context because the players will perform to their best ability when they’re at their optimum condition and also not feeling any discomforts to the body such as feeling too hot or being dehydrated.
The cardiovascular system, in particular, an increase in a player’s heart rate caused by adrenaline being released into the bloodstream, is important in a football context as adrenaline provides more oxygen to the working muscles and therefore improves the player’s performance.
The central nervous system is important in a football context because it can programme specific muscle co-ordinations which are specific to football. This will have a beneficial impact on the player’s performance as the central nervous system will have already programmed movements that are used during the performance, making them perform the movements more efficiently.
References
ADRENALINE | HORMONE HEALTH NETWORK
In-text: (“Adrenaline | Hormone Health Network”, 2018)
Your Bibliography: Adrenaline | Hormone Health Network. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.hormone.org/hormones-and-health/hormones/adrenaline
BBC BITESIZE – GCSE PHYSICAL EDUCATION – RESPIRATORY SYSTEM – OCR – REVISION 1
In-text: (BBC Bitesize, 2018)
Your Bibliography: BBC Bitesize. (2018). BBC Bitesize – GCSE Physical Education – Respiratory system – OCR – Revision 1. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zy7d2p3/revision/1 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2018].
BRAIN OVER BRAWN – CNS TRAINING FOR ENHANCED PERFORMANCE | PEAK PERFORMANCE
In-text: (“Brain over brawn – CNS training for enhanced performance | Peak Performance”, 2018)
Your Bibliography: Brain over brawn – CNS training for enhanced performance | Peak Performance. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.peakendurancesport.com/endurance-training/techniques/brain-brawn-cns-training-enhanced-performance/
COTTRILL, M.
How Does Adrenaline Affect an Athlete’s Performance?
In-text: (Cottrill, 2018)
Your Bibliography: Cottrill, M. (2018). How Does Adrenaline Affect an Athlete’s Performance?. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/446347-how-does-adrenaline-affect-an-athletes-performance/
HOW DOES THE BODY MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS IN RESPONSE TO EXERCISE?
In-text: (“How Does the Body Maintain Homeostasis in Response to Exercise?”, 2018)
Your Bibliography: How Does the Body Maintain Homeostasis in Response to Exercise?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/369714-how-does-the-body-maintain-homeostasis-in-response-to-exercise/
MUSCLES USED IN KICKING A SOCCER BALL
In-text: (“Muscles Used in Kicking a Soccer Ball”, 2018)
Your Bibliography: Muscles Used in Kicking a Soccer Ball. (2018). Retrieved from https://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/muscles-used-kicking-soccer-ball-4733.html