Evaluate how fatigue affects the nervous system's ability to maintain skilled performance in endurance events. (8 marks)
--- 28 WORK AREA LINES (style=lined) ---
Show Answers Only
Sample Answer
Judgment Statement
- Fatigue severely compromises the nervous system’s ability to maintain skilled performance in endurance events.
- The nervous system strongly fails movement quality standards but partially maintains the ability to continue performing.
Movement Quality
- Fatigue in the brain severely reduces movement quality by weakening the signals sent to muscles.
- Marathon runners show deteriorating running form after 30km because fewer muscle fibres get activated.
- Nerve chemicals work less effectively, making movements jerky instead of smooth.
- Coordination suffers badly – cyclists begin wobbling and swimmers lose stroke rhythm.
- Reaction times slow dramatically, with triathletes taking longer to respond to course changes.
- These effects demonstrate that fatigue severely damages the precision needed for skilled movement.
Performance Continuation
- Even though movement quality drops, the nervous system finds ways to keep athletes going.
- They increase conscious thought to technique, though this uses mental energy.
- Movement patterns change to work around tired muscles – runners shorten their stride to keep going.
- Athletes rely more on watching their movements rather than feeling them.
- Slower nerve signals mean reflexes work poorly, increasing injury risk.
- However, these adaptations allow athletes to continue, even with reduced skill levels.
Final Evaluation
- Fatigue profoundly impairs the nervous system’s control of skilled movement, with quality declining far more than the ability to continue.
- While these backup strategies enable athletes to complete events, they cannot prevent significant skill deterioration.
- The nervous system prioritises survival over performance quality when fatigued.
- Success in endurance events requires training to delay these fatigue effects rather than relying on compensatory strategies.
Show Worked Solution
Judgment Statement
- Fatigue severely compromises the nervous system’s ability to maintain skilled performance in endurance events.
- The nervous system strongly fails movement quality standards but partially maintains the ability to continue performing.
Movement Quality
- Fatigue in the brain severely reduces movement quality by weakening the signals sent to muscles.
- Marathon runners show deteriorating running form after 30km because fewer muscle fibres get activated.
- Nerve chemicals work less effectively, making movements jerky instead of smooth.
- Coordination suffers badly – cyclists begin wobbling and swimmers lose stroke rhythm.
- Reaction times slow dramatically, with triathletes taking longer to respond to course changes.
- These effects demonstrate that fatigue severely damages the precision needed for skilled movement.
Performance Continuation
- Even though movement quality drops, the nervous system finds ways to keep athletes going.
- They increase conscious thought to technique, though this uses mental energy.
- Movement patterns change to work around tired muscles – runners shorten their stride to keep going.
- Athletes rely more on watching their movements rather than feeling them.
- Slower nerve signals mean reflexes work poorly, increasing injury risk.
- However, these adaptations allow athletes to continue, even with reduced skill levels.
Final Evaluation
- Fatigue profoundly impairs the nervous system’s control of skilled movement, with quality declining far more than the ability to continue.
- While these backup strategies enable athletes to complete events, they cannot prevent significant skill deterioration.
- The nervous system prioritises survival over performance quality when fatigued.
- Success in endurance events requires training to delay these fatigue effects rather than relying on compensatory strategies.