The Neuromuscular System | AQA A-Level Physical Education (7582)
The Neuromuscular System
- 55 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 1: Factors affecting participation in physical activity and sport
- Paper 1
The Neuromuscular System is examined in Paper 1, Factors affecting participation in physical activity and sport.
It covers muscle fibre types and their characteristics, the nervous system and motor units, summation, the all-or-none law and tetanic contraction and muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs and PNF.
Sample questions from The Neuromuscular System
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Muscle fibre types and their characteristics
Why do fast glycolytic fibres have high stores of phosphocreatine and glycogen?
Show the answer
Fast glycolytic fibres produce ATP anaerobically. Large stores of phosphocreatine and glycogen fuel the ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolytic systems. -
Muscle fibre types and their characteristics
Which fibre type matters most to a shot putter, and why?
Show the answer
Fast glycolytic (type IIx) fibres matter most. The throw lasts under a second and demands maximum force. -
The nervous system and motor units
Give three effects of sympathetic stimulation on a player during a match.
Show the answer
Adrenaline is released and the bronchioles dilate. Glycogen is broken down to raise blood glucose. -
The nervous system and motor units
How do motor units differ between muscles used for fine and gross movements?
Show the answer
Muscles for fine control, such as those in the fingers, have small motor units. Muscles for powerful gross movements, such as the quadriceps, have large motor units. -
Summation, the all-or-none law and tetanic contraction
How does spatial summation help a long-distance swimmer delay fatigue?
Show the answer
Motor units can be rotated, so some rest while others work. Force is maintained while individual units recover. -
Summation, the all-or-none law and tetanic contraction
Why does a weightlifter need tetanic contraction during a clean and jerk?
Show the answer
The lift needs a sustained, maximal contraction of the legs, back and arms. High-frequency impulses produce tetanic contraction, giving the greatest possible force. -
Muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs and PNF
What is autogenic inhibition?
Show the answer
Autogenic inhibition is the relaxation of a muscle when Golgi tendon organs detect high tension. The Golgi tendon organs override the stretch reflex, allowing further stretch. -
Muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs and PNF
Why does PNF improve flexibility more than a passive static stretch alone?
Show the answer
PNF deliberately triggers the Golgi tendon organs. The resulting relaxation allows a greater stretch than the stretch reflex would normally permit.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle fibre types and their characteristics | Slow twitch, fast oxidative glycolytic and fast glycolytic fibres, their structure, speed and fatigue, and the fibre mix of marathon runners, sprinters, shot putters and midfielders. | 16 |
| The nervous system and motor units | The central and peripheral nervous systems, sympathetic and parasympathetic effects, motor neurones and motor units, the neuromuscular junction and the order of recruitment. | 13 |
| Summation, the all-or-none law and tetanic contraction | The all-or-none law, grading force, spatial and wave summation, twitches and tetanic contraction in a clean and jerk, a sprint start and a short putt. | 13 |
| Muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs and PNF | Proprioceptors, muscle spindles and the stretch reflex, Golgi tendon organs and autogenic inhibition, how PNF works, and reciprocal inhibition. | 13 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,084 questions with their answers.