User interface language: English | Español

Date November 2016 Marks available 3 Reference code 16N.3.SL.tz0.3
Level Standard Level Paper Paper 3 Time zone time zone 0
Command term Discuss Question number 3 Adapted from N/A

Question

Define the term ergogenic aid.

[1]
a.

Discuss the benefits for an athlete using anabolic steroids.

[3]
b.

Suggest how a soccer player could use periodization to optimise their performance in the preparation phase for the 2018 soccer world cup in Russia.

[4]
c.

Markscheme

a substance/device/phenomenon that can improve an athlete’s performance ✔

 

a.

stimulates and promotes bone maturation and protein synthesis to help strengthen bone and increase muscle growth ✔

an increase in muscle growth leads to an increase in muscle mass ✔

greater increase in muscle mass when combined with a high protein diet ✔

«hypertrophy» leads to an increase in muscular strength/power ✔

protein synthesis aids the repair of muscle tissue during recovery from exercise/allows athletes to train more frequently ✔

«proposed» aggressive and competitive effects allows performer to train for longer✔

b.

preparation phase «pre-season» used for developing and improving aerobic fitness «where the load will be quite high and the training will start broad and become more specific» ✔

progressively increase volume, intensity and exercise selection specific for football ✔

macrocycles are divided into mesocycles ✔

length of preparation phase would be a meso cycle «2–8weeks» ✔

meso cycle/preparation phase would be broken down into microcycles «7–14 days» ✔

preparation phase/meso cycle would be used for national team training specific for the goals of the team ✔

 

c.

Examiners report

Well answered and well understood.

a.

Well answered.

b.

Not an easy question and getting full marks was difficult.

c.

Syllabus sections

Option A: Optimizing physiological performance » A.3. Non-nutritional ergogenic aids » A.3.5. Discuss the proposed and actual benefits that some athletes would hope to gain by using anabolic steroids, erythropoietin (EPO), beta blockers, caffeine and diuretics.
Option A: Optimizing physiological performance » A.3. Non-nutritional ergogenic aids
Option A: Optimizing physiological performance

View options