Applying Anatomy to Sporting Actions

This lesson is an integration and application lesson that brings together everything you have learned in the Applied Anatomy and Physiology topic for the Edexcel GCSE PE specification (1PE0 — Topic 1). In the exam, you will be given sporting actions and asked to analyse them by identifying the bones, joints, joint types, movements, muscles, agonists, antagonists, and muscle fibre types involved. This lesson teaches you a systematic approach to answering these analysis questions.

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The Analysis Framework

When analysing any sporting action, work through the following steps in order:

graph TD
    A["1. Identify the joint"] --> B["2. Name the joint type"]
    B --> C["3. Identify the bones<br>forming the joint"]
    C --> D["4. Name the movement"]
    D --> E["5. Identify the agonist<br>(prime mover)"]
    E --> F["6. Identify the antagonist"]
    F --> G["7. Identify the muscle<br>fibre type used"]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style B fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style C fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style D fill:#9b59b6,color:#fff
    style E fill:#c0392b,color:#fff
    style F fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style G fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff

Exam Tip: Use this framework for every movement analysis question. Even if the question only asks for one element (e.g., "name the agonist"), working through the full framework in your head ensures you give the correct answer in context.

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Worked Example 1: Kicking a Football

Phase 1 — Preparation (Backswing)

The kicking leg swings backward as the player prepares to strike the ball.

Element	Answer
Joint	Hip
Joint type	Ball and socket
Bones	Femur and pelvis
Movement	Extension (of the hip)
Agonist	Gluteus maximus
Antagonist	Hip flexors

Element	Answer
Joint	Knee
Joint type	Hinge
Bones	Femur and tibia
Movement	Flexion (of the knee)
Agonist	Hamstrings
Antagonist	Quadriceps

Phase 2 — Execution (Striking the Ball)

The kicking leg swings forward powerfully to make contact with the ball.

Element	Answer
Joint	Hip
Joint type	Ball and socket
Bones	Femur and pelvis
Movement	Flexion (of the hip)
Agonist	Hip flexors
Antagonist	Gluteus maximus

Element	Answer
Joint	Knee
Joint type	Hinge
Bones	Femur and tibia
Movement	Extension (of the knee)
Agonist	Quadriceps
Antagonist	Hamstrings

Element	Answer
Joint	Ankle
Joint type	Hinge
Bones	Tibia, fibula, tarsals
Movement	Plantarflexion
Agonist	Gastrocnemius
Antagonist	Tibialis anterior

Muscle fibre type: The kick is an explosive, high-intensity action lasting less than a second, so it primarily uses Type IIx (fast twitch) fibres in the quadriceps and hip flexors.

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Worked Example 2: Sprinting — One Full Stride

Drive Phase (Pushing Off the Ground)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Antagonist
Hip	Extension	Gluteus maximus	Hip flexors
Knee	Extension	Quadriceps	Hamstrings
Ankle	Plantarflexion	Gastrocnemius	Tibialis anterior

Recovery Phase (Bringing the Leg Forward)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Antagonist
Hip	Flexion	Hip flexors	Gluteus maximus
Knee	Flexion	Hamstrings	Quadriceps
Ankle	Dorsiflexion	Tibialis anterior	Gastrocnemius

Muscle fibre type: Sprinting is a maximal-intensity, short-duration activity. It primarily uses Type IIx (fast twitch) fibres for the explosive power required. Over a longer sprint (200-400 m), Type IIa fibres also play an increasing role.

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Worked Example 3: A Badminton Overhead Smash

Preparation (Drawing the Arm Back)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Antagonist
Shoulder	Extension, abduction	Deltoid, latissimus dorsi	Pectoralis major
Elbow	Flexion	Biceps	Triceps
Neck	Rotation (tracking the shuttle)	Neck muscles (pivot joint)	—

Execution (Striking the Shuttle)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Antagonist
Shoulder	Flexion, adduction	Pectoralis major, deltoid	Latissimus dorsi
Elbow	Extension	Triceps	Biceps
Wrist	Flexion	Wrist flexors	Wrist extensors

The wrist joint is a condyloid joint (specific to Edexcel), allowing flexion/extension and abduction/adduction but not full rotation.

Muscle fibre type: The smash is an explosive, high-force action, primarily using Type IIx (fast twitch) fibres.

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Worked Example 4: Long-Distance Running (Steady State)

Joint	Movement (alternating)	Key Muscles
Hip	Flexion / extension (alternating)	Hip flexors / gluteus maximus
Knee	Flexion / extension (alternating)	Hamstrings / quadriceps
Ankle	Plantarflexion / dorsiflexion (alternating)	Gastrocnemius / tibialis anterior

Muscle fibre type: Long-distance running is a low-to-moderate intensity, long-duration activity. It primarily uses Type I (slow twitch) fibres, which are resistant to fatigue and use the aerobic energy system.

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Worked Example 5: A Star Jump

Phase	Joint	Movement	Agonist
Jumping out	Shoulder	Abduction	Deltoid
	Hip	Abduction	— (hip abductors)
Returning	Shoulder	Adduction	Pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi
	Hip	Adduction	— (hip adductors)

This action demonstrates the difference between abduction (away from the midline) and adduction (towards the midline) at both the shoulder (ball-and-socket joint) and the hip (ball-and-socket joint).

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How to Structure Exam Answers

Short-Answer Questions (1-3 marks)

For a 1-mark question such as "Name the agonist during knee extension":

• Answer: Quadriceps.

For a 2-mark question such as "Name the agonist and antagonist during knee extension":

• Answer: Agonist = quadriceps; antagonist = hamstrings.

Extended-Answer Questions (4-6+ marks)

For an extended question such as "Analyse the movements at the hip and knee during the kicking action in football":

Structure your answer like this:

1. State the joint and joint type.
2. Name the bones forming the joint.
3. Describe the movement during the preparation phase — name the agonist and antagonist.
4. Describe the movement during the execution phase — name the agonist and antagonist.
5. Identify the muscle fibre type used and explain why.

Exam Tip: For extended answers, use a table format where possible. Examiners find tables easy to mark, and you are less likely to miss a point. If you cannot use a table, use clear, separate sentences for each point.

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Quick Reference: Linking Muscles to Movements