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Physiology: The Skeletal and
Muscular Systems
Any athlete
who dreams of competing at the professional or Olympic level needs to
train extensively and scientifically so that every effort applied will
be counted as a step towards the ultimate prize in his/her field,
whether it be a gold medal, a large trophy or a championship ring, as
well as the recognition of the world. In order to achieve this dream, an
athlete needs to know how he/she should train so that they can push
their bodies beyond the normal endurance threshold of the human body.
The facet of science that deals with the nitty-gritty of what, where and
how should be exercised for optimum results is called physiology, or the
study of the body's functions.
Physiology
is a vast field because it covers each and every aspect of the function
of the human body. The following are the seven most critical areas that
are covered under physiology that directly concern training:
(1)
Skeletal system
(2)
Muscular system
(3)
Neurological system
(4)
Endocrine system
(5)
Cardiovascular system
(6)
Respiratory system
(7)
Digestive system
Out of
these, the skeletal and muscular systems are involved with the
mechanical aspect of training. Their function and importance in training
are briefly outlined below:
The Skeletal System
The
importance of the skeletal system while an athlete exercises is based on
four fundamental functions of this system:
(1) Storage
– the skeletal system is used as a storehouse by the body in many
instances – for example, blood
(hemoglobin) and minerals.
(2)
Movement - the bones are the frame where all of the muscles are
fastened with the help of tendons; the bones are also connected together
through cartilage, aiding with the movement of the body, called joints.
These joints are of three types, (a) freely moveable, (b) Hinge and ball
and (c) socket hinges.
(3)
Protection - the skeleton encloses the majority of the vital organs
trying to ensure that in case of real life-and-
death situations, the bones will cushion a fall, keeping the internal
organs safe. For example, the rib cage
protects the heart, while the skull protects the brain.
(4) Support
- without the skeletal system, the human body would have been a mass of
plasma trying to move from
one place to another. It is the skeletal system that supports it to
stand.
(5) Shape -
the bones give shape to your head, to your face and even your overall
body.
The
Muscular System
Immediately
next to the skeletal system, there is the muscular system, which needs
to be analyzed in depth while exercising. The muscles are of four types:
(a) elasticity, (b) contractibility, (d) excitability and extensibility.
The physiology of the muscular system will reflect on three main
functions:
(1) Motion
(such as movement like running or walking) - In order to have movement,
the functions of the
skeletal and muscular systems would need to combine seamlessly, i.e. the
skeleton becomes the lever,
which the muscular system uses for all types of movement, while using
the joint as a fulcrum point.
Based on this function, you will observe that there are three major
processes that involve force while
using the bones as levers:
-
Muscle force – this is
that force that draws everything into a certain direction; here the
muscle forces would be drawn in opposite directions.
-
Torque force - the force
here uses the bone lever to obtain a rotation movement.
-
Resistive test - this
force is the one that acts against your movement and other muscle
forces, i.e. the force of friction, gravity, etc).
(2)
Heat production - the muscle contraction and relaxation is based
upon the ability of achieve and maintain the body's core temperature.
The heat that the body maintains is mostly obtained through the energy
burnout that happens in the cells of the muscles in the body. While the
heat is generated in the muscle cells, the blood ensures that it is
evenly distributed throughout the body.
(3)
Posture - this would involve correct positions while sitting in a
chair, and walking. The posture we hold is the result of millions of
messages from the body to the brain through sensory receptors, which
measure the criteria that shows how much and which muscle can stretch in
what direction.
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