sports science

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)

Total energy expended over the course of a day

Resting metabolic rate (RMR)

The amount of energy expended by the body in maintaining vital processes, eg respiration, circulation and digestion

Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)

Elevation of RMR in response to training

VO2max

maximal oxygen uptake, defined as the maximum amount of oxygen in millilitres a person can use in one minute per kg of body weight

Thermic effect of feeding (TEF)

Energy cost of all the processes involved in the consumption and digestion of food

Respiratory exchange ratio (RER)

Ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed

Energy expenditure of physical activity (EEPA)

Energy burned during exercise and everyday physical activity

Resistance training

Any form of training that involves an action performed against resistance

Growth plates

The area of growing tissue near the ends of the long bones in children and adolescents. These plates determine the future length and shape of the mature bone

Strength training

Resistance training specifically geared to developing muscle function and/or growth; typically involves free weights or resistance machines

Preconditioning

Training designed to build a base level of conditioning to prepare the body for participation in sport or physical training

Hypertrophy

Growth of lean tissue (particularly muscle) in response to training

Neural adaptations

Developments in the ability of the central nervous system to recruit and activate muscles for movement

Lean body mass

Body mass excluding fat

Proprioception

Awareness of the position of your limbs and body in three- dimensional space

Periodisation

Planned variation of training over an extended period

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals secreted by nerve endings that enable nerve cells to communicate with each other

Enzyme

Protein molecules made by the body, whose job is to speed up biochemical reactions

Randomised

A procedure whereby subjects in a scientific study are allocated into different groups at random. This helps to ensure the most reliable results

Meta-analysis

A type of scientific study that analyses pooled data from a number of previous studies

Body mass index (BMI)

A measure of how appropriate your weight is for your height, calculated as weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. A BMI of 20-25 is considered healthy; 25-30 is overweight and 30+ is obese

Double blind

A study in which neither the subjects nor the investigators know who is receiving the active treatment and who the placebo. Double blind studies help eliminate bias on the part of scientists and ‘the placebo effect’ in subjects

Metabolite

Naturally occurring compounds in the body that are produced when nutrients or other substances undergo a biochemical transformation

Control

A group in a scientific study that undergoes the same experimental conditions as the ‘treatment group’ but doesn’t receive the treatment under investigation – eg calcium supplements. The control group’s results are used as a baseline against which those of the treatment group can be compared

Placebo

A dummy pill (or other form of treatment) which is designed to look (and taste) like the treatment under investigation but is biologically ‘inert’ – ie it has no effects whatsoever. Normally taken by subjects in a control group (see above)