Component 1 Revision — Fitness and Body Systems

This lesson provides a comprehensive revision guide for all the topics examined in Component 1 of Edexcel GCSE PE. Component 1 (Fitness and Body Systems) is worth 80 marks (36%) and covers Topics 1–4: Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Movement Analysis, Physical Training, and Use of Data. This is the most content-heavy paper, so thorough revision of each topic area is essential.

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Topic 1: Applied Anatomy and Physiology

The Skeleton — 22+ Bones You Must Know

Edexcel requires you to identify and locate the following bones:

Upper Body	Lower Body	Axial Skeleton
Cranium	Pelvis	Cervical vertebrae (7)
Clavicle	Femur	Thoracic vertebrae (12)
Scapula	Patella	Lumbar vertebrae (5)
Humerus	Tibia	Sacrum
Radius	Fibula	Coccyx
Ulna	Tarsals	Ribs (12 pairs)
Carpals	Metatarsals	Sternum
Metacarpals	Phalanges (foot)
Phalanges (hand)

Exam Tip: Edexcel is more detailed than other exam boards on bones — you must know all five vertebral regions individually (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, coccyx) and the hand/foot bones (carpals, metacarpals, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges). Practise labelling a blank skeleton diagram from memory.

The 12 Muscles

Muscle	Location	Primary Action	Sporting Example
Deltoid	Shoulder	Abduction of the arm	Overhead serve in tennis
Trapezius	Upper back/neck	Extension and rotation of the head; elevation of the scapula	Holding head position in cycling
Latissimus dorsi	Middle/lower back	Adduction and extension of the arm	Front crawl swimming pull phase
Pectorals	Chest	Horizontal adduction and flexion of the arm	Push-up; chest pass in basketball
Biceps	Front of upper arm	Flexion at the elbow	Bicep curl; pull-up
Triceps	Back of upper arm	Extension at the elbow	Press-up push phase; throwing
Abdominals	Stomach/core	Flexion of the trunk	Sit-up; maintaining body position in gymnastics
Hip flexors	Front of hip	Flexion at the hip	Bringing the knee up when sprinting
Gluteals	Buttocks	Extension and abduction at the hip	Jumping; sprinting push-off
Quadriceps	Front of thigh	Extension at the knee	Kicking a football; jumping
Hamstrings	Back of thigh	Flexion at the knee	Pulling the leg back when sprinting
Gastrocnemius	Calf	Plantarflexion at the ankle	Pushing off when running; jumping

Joint Types and Movements

Edexcel requires knowledge of four joint types:

Joint Type	Example	Movements Allowed
Hinge	Elbow, knee, ankle	Flexion, extension (ankle also: dorsiflexion, plantarflexion)
Ball and socket	Shoulder, hip	Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation
Pivot	Neck (atlas and axis)	Rotation
Condyloid	Wrist	Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction

graph TD
    J["Joint Types in Edexcel GCSE PE"]
    H["Hinge<br/>Elbow, Knee, Ankle"]
    BS["Ball and Socket<br/>Shoulder, Hip"]
    P["Pivot<br/>Neck"]
    C["Condyloid<br/>Wrist"]
    J --> H
    J --> BS
    J --> P
    J --> C
    H --> H1["Flexion / Extension"]
    BS --> BS1["Flexion / Extension /<br/>Abduction / Adduction /<br/>Rotation"]
    P --> P1["Rotation"]
    C --> C1["Flexion / Extension /<br/>Abduction / Adduction"]
    style J fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style H fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style BS fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style P fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style C fill:#27ae60,color:#fff

Muscle Fibre Types

Feature	Slow-Twitch (Type I)	Fast-Twitch (Type IIa)	Fast-Twitch (Type IIx)
Contraction speed	Slow	Fast	Very fast
Fatigue resistance	High (resistant to fatigue)	Moderate	Low (fatigues quickly)
Energy system	Aerobic	Both aerobic and anaerobic	Anaerobic
Force production	Low	High	Very high
Sporting example	Marathon runner, long-distance cyclist	800m runner, games player	100m sprinter, shot putter

The Cardiovascular System

Key structures and functions:

Structure	Function
Heart	Pumps blood around the body
Arteries	Carry oxygenated blood away from the heart (thick, muscular walls)
Veins	Carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart (thinner walls, contain valves)
Capillaries	Tiny vessels where gas exchange occurs (one cell thick)
Red blood cells	Transport oxygen via haemoglobin

Key equations:

Equation	Formula	Example
Cardiac output	Stroke volume × heart rate	70 ml × 72 bpm = 5,040 ml/min
Stroke volume	Cardiac output ÷ heart rate	5,600 ÷ 80 = 70 ml

Effects of exercise on the cardiovascular system:

Short-Term Effects	Long-Term Effects (Adaptations)
Heart rate increases	Cardiac hypertrophy (heart gets bigger and stronger)
Stroke volume increases	Increased stroke volume at rest and during exercise
Cardiac output increases	Lower resting heart rate (bradycardia)
Blood pressure increases	Increased number of red blood cells
Blood is redistributed to working muscles	More efficient blood redistribution

The Respiratory System

Key structures: Trachea → bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli

Key terms:

Term	Definition
Tidal volume	Volume of air breathed in or out per breath at rest (~0.5 litres)
Vital capacity	Maximum volume of air that can be forcefully exhaled after maximum inhalation
Breathing rate	Number of breaths per minute
Oxygen debt (EPOC)	The extra oxygen consumed after exercise to return the body to its resting state
Gaseous exchange	The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at the alveoli and at the muscles

Effects of exercise on the respiratory system:

Short-Term Effects	Long-Term Effects (Adaptations)
Breathing rate increases	Increased vital capacity
Tidal volume increases	Increased strength of respiratory muscles (diaphragm, intercostals)
Greater gaseous exchange at alveoli	More efficient gaseous exchange

Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

Feature	Aerobic	Anaerobic
Oxygen	With oxygen	Without oxygen
Intensity	Low to moderate	High
Duration	Long (can be sustained)	Short (cannot be sustained for long)
Energy equation	Glucose + oxygen → energy + CO₂ + water	Glucose → energy + lactic acid
Example	Jogging, swimming, cycling	Sprinting, weight lifting, jumping

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Topic 2: Movement Analysis

Lever Systems

A lever consists of three components: effort (force applied by a muscle), load (resistance/weight being moved), and fulcrum (the joint/pivot point).

Class	Order	Example in the Body	Sporting Example
1st class	Fulcrum in the middle (effort – fulcrum – load)	Neck (head nodding)	Heading a football
2nd class	Load in the middle (effort – load – fulcrum)	Ankle (plantarflexion)	Sprinting push-off
3rd class	Effort in the middle (fulcrum – effort – load)	Elbow (bicep curl)	Throwing, kicking

Mechanical advantage:

Formula	What It Tells You
Mechanical advantage = effort arm ÷ resistance arm	A value > 1 means the lever amplifies force; < 1 means it amplifies speed/range of movement

Exam Tip: 3rd class levers are the most common in the body. They have a mechanical advantage of less than 1 — meaning they sacrifice force for speed and range of movement. This is why the human body is better at throwing fast than lifting heavy loads.

Planes and Axes of Movement

Plane	Direction of Movement	Axis of Rotation	Example Movement	Sporting Example
Sagittal (median)	Divides body into left and right; forward/backward movements	Transverse (horizontal) axis	Flexion, extension	Running, squatting, front somersault
Frontal (coronal)	Divides body into front and back; sideways movements	Sagittal (anteroposterior) axis	Abduction, adduction	Star jump, cartwheel
Transverse (horizontal)	Divides body into top and bottom; rotational movements	Longitudinal (vertical) axis	Rotation	Spinning in ice skating, discus throw

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Topic 3: Physical Training

Components of Fitness

graph TD
    CF["Components of Fitness"]
    HR["Health-Related"]
    SR["Skill-Related"]
    HR --> HR1["Cardiovascular endurance"]
    HR --> HR2["Muscular endurance"]
    HR --> HR3["Muscular strength"]
    HR --> HR4["Flexibility"]
    HR --> HR5["Body composition"]
    SR --> SR1["Agility"]
    SR --> SR2["Balance"]
    SR --> SR3["Coordination"]
    SR --> SR4["Power"]
    SR --> SR5["Reaction time"]
    SR --> SR6["Speed"]
    style CF fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style HR fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style SR fill:#e67e22,color:#fff

Fitness Testing

Component	Test	Protocol Summary	Unit
Cardiovascular endurance	Multi-stage fitness test (bleep test)	Run 20m shuttles in time with bleeps; speed increases each level	Level.Shuttle
Muscular endurance	Sit-up bleep test	Perform sit-ups in time with bleeps until failure	Number of sit-ups
Muscular strength	Hand grip dynamometer	Squeeze dynamometer as hard as possible (best of 3)	kg
Flexibility	Sit and reach test	Sit with legs straight; reach forward as far as possible	cm
Body composition	BMI / skinfold calipers	BMI = mass (kg) ÷ height² (m²); or sum of skinfold measurements	kg/m² or mm
Agility	Illinois agility test	Sprint and weave through cones following a set course	seconds
Balance	Stork stand test	Stand on one leg on toes with eyes closed; time until balance is lost	seconds
Coordination	Wall toss test	Throw and catch a ball against a wall in 30 seconds	number of catches
Power	Vertical jump test	Jump as high as possible from standing; measure difference from standing reach	cm
Reaction time	Ruler drop test	Catch a dropped ruler as quickly as possible; measure distance	cm (converted to seconds)
Speed	30m sprint test	Sprint 30m as fast as possible from a standing start	seconds

9 Training Methods