What you'll learn
Health, fitness and well-being covers how physical activity benefits the body, mind and social life, what happens to people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, how body type suits different sports, and how energy use, diet, nutrition and hydration affect health and performance. In AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) it is part of Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport (1 hour 15 minutes, 78 marks, 30% of the GCSE). This guide covers the physical, mental (emotional) and social benefits of exercise, the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and its effect on performance, the three somatotypes, energy requirements and the balanced diet, the roles of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and the effects of dehydration on performance.
Key terms and definitions
Health — A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Well-being — How good a person feels in body and mind, including feeling content, coping with stress and having good relationships.
Sedentary lifestyle — A lifestyle with irregular or no physical activity.
Obese — A term used to describe people who are very overfat, with a large amount of body fat stored.
Overweight — Having weight in excess of normal; this is not necessarily harmful unless it is due to excess fat.
Somatotype — A person's body type: endomorph, mesomorph or ectomorph.
Calorie (kcal) — A unit of energy. Energy in food and energy used in activity are measured in kilocalories.
Balanced diet — A diet that contains the right amounts of all the nutrients the body needs: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre.
Macronutrients — Nutrients needed in large amounts: carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Micronutrients — Nutrients needed in small amounts: vitamins and minerals.
Hydration — Having enough water in the body for it to function properly. Dehydration is excessive loss of body water, which interrupts the normal functioning of the body.
Blood viscosity — The thickness of the blood.
Core concepts
Physical, mental and social benefits of exercise
Physical health and well-being: exercise improves the efficiency of the heart and the body's systems, reduces the risk of illnesses such as heart disease and some cancers, makes everyday tasks easier, and helps to avoid obesity.
Mental (emotional) health and well-being: exercise reduces stress and tension, causes the release of serotonin (a "feel-good" hormone), and helps people control their emotions, which can improve confidence and self-esteem.
Social health and well-being: exercise provides opportunities to socialise and make friends, develops cooperation and teamwork, and is part of a life in which essential human needs (such as food, shelter and clothing) are met and the person has friendship and support.
Fitness: exercise improves fitness, which reduces the chance of injury and makes it easier to cope with the physical demands of work and daily life.
The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain and obesity, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, poor sleep, poor self-esteem and lethargy (lack of energy).
Obesity has physical, mental and social consequences:
- Physical: increased risk of cancer, heart disease and heart attacks, diabetes and high cholesterol.
- Mental (emotional): depression and loss of confidence.
- Social: an inability to socialise and to leave the home, and reduced involvement in the community.
Obesity also limits performance. It reduces cardiovascular endurance (stamina), flexibility, agility and speed and power, because the extra weight must be moved and puts strain on the heart and joints.
Somatotypes
| Somatotype | Characteristics | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Endomorph | Pear-shaped, wide hips and narrow shoulders, a higher amount of body fat | Activities that need power or strength and where weight helps, such as sumo wrestling or shot put, or a rugby prop forward |
| Mesomorph | Muscular, wide shoulders and narrow hips, low body fat | Activities that need strength, speed and power, such as sprinting, swimming, boxing and gymnastics |
| Ectomorph | Tall and thin, narrow shoulders and hips, very little body fat or muscle | Endurance activities and those that need height or a light frame, such as long-distance running, high jump and netball goal shooter |
Many performers are a mixture of types, and different positions within the same sport may suit different somatotypes. You must be able to choose the most suitable body type for a sport or position and justify your choice.
Energy use and requirements
Energy is measured in kilocalories (kcal). The average adult male needs about 2,500 kcal per day and the average adult female about 2,000 kcal, but requirements vary with age, gender, height and the energy expenditure of activity. If energy taken in is greater than energy used, the extra is stored as fat and weight increases; if energy used is greater, weight decreases.
A balanced diet and the role of nutrients
There is no single food that contains all the nutrients the body needs, so a balanced diet must combine a range of foods. A balanced diet provides suitable nutrients, vitamins and minerals while avoiding excess fat being stored, which could lead to obesity.
The recommended balance of energy intake is about 55–60% carbohydrate, 25–30% fat and 15–20% protein.
- Carbohydrates are the main and preferred energy source for all types of exercise, of all intensities. Sources include pasta, rice, bread and potatoes.
- Fat is also an energy source, providing more energy per gram than carbohydrate, but it is used mainly during low-intensity exercise. Too much fat in the diet can lead to obesity.
- Protein is used for the growth and repair of muscle tissue. Sources include meat, fish, eggs, dairy and pulses.
- Vitamins and minerals are needed in small amounts to keep the body's systems working efficiently and to maintain general health. You do not need to know specific vitamins or minerals.
Hydration and dehydration
Water is needed to keep the body working properly. During exercise, water is lost through sweat and breathing, so it must be replaced. Dehydration has several effects on performance:
- Blood thickening (increased viscosity), which slows blood flow and means less oxygen reaches the muscles.
- An increase in heart rate as the heart works harder, and the heart rhythm may become irregular.
- An increase in body temperature, leading to overheating.
- Slower reaction times and poorer decision making.
- Muscle fatigue and cramps.
The effects matter most in long-duration and hot-weather events such as a marathon, but even in a football match dehydration can slow decisions late in the game.
Eating and drinking around exercise
Timing matters as well as content. A large meal shortly before exercise competes with the working muscles for blood, because blood is shunted away from the digestive system during activity; performers usually eat a carbohydrate-based meal two to three hours beforehand and only a light snack closer to the start. Endurance performers sometimes carbohydrate-load in the days before an event, increasing carbohydrate intake so that their glycogen stores are as full as possible. During long events, sports drinks can replace water, energy and the salts lost in sweat. After exercise, eating carbohydrate and protein and drinking fluids helps restore energy stores, repair muscle and rehydrate the body, linking diet directly to recovery.
Linking diet, activity and well-being
The three parts of this topic connect. Regular exercise uses energy and helps keep energy intake and expenditure in balance, which prevents the weight gain that leads to obesity. A balanced diet provides the energy and nutrients needed to train, and good hydration keeps performance and decision making sharp. In turn, being active and healthy supports mental well-being through reduced stress and improved self-esteem, and social well-being through teams, clubs and friendships. Exam answers that show these links, rather than treating diet, exercise and well-being as separate lists, usually reach the higher mark bands.
Worked examples
Example 1: Justifying a somatotype
Question: Identify the most suitable somatotype for a 100 m sprinter and justify your answer (3 marks). A mesomorph is most suitable. Their muscular build and wide shoulders provide the strength and power needed for an explosive start and acceleration, and their low body fat means less weight to carry.
Example 2: Energy balance
A 16-year-old girl uses about 2,300 kcal a day through growth, school and two hours of netball training. If she eats 2,000 kcal a day, she is in energy deficit by 300 kcal, so over time she will lose weight and may lack energy for training. She should increase her intake, mainly through carbohydrates.
Example 3: Diet for a performer
A marathon runner needs a diet high in carbohydrates to provide energy for a long event, with enough protein to repair muscles after training and plenty of water to avoid dehydration. A weightlifter needs more protein to support muscle growth and repair.
Example 4: Evaluating the consequences of dehydration
In a two-hour tennis match on a hot day, a dehydrated player's blood becomes thicker and their heart rate rises, so less oxygen reaches the muscles and they tire sooner. Their reaction times slow and their decisions worsen, leading to more unforced errors. Regular drinks during changeovers help prevent this.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Do not say fat is the main energy source for exercise. Carbohydrate is the main and preferred source for all intensities; fat is used mainly at low intensity.
Do not confuse overweight with obese. Overweight is weight above normal; obese means very overfat.
Do not describe ectomorphs as muscular. Ectomorphs are tall and thin; mesomorphs are muscular.
Do not list the effects of dehydration without linking them to performance, for example "slower reactions mean a goalkeeper reacts later to a shot".
Do not give the macronutrient percentages in the wrong order. Carbohydrate is largest (55–60%), then fat (25–30%), then protein (15–20%).
Exam technique for "Health, fitness and well-being"
For questions on benefits of exercise, say whether each benefit is physical, mental or social, and give a specific example. For somatotype questions, name the body type and justify it with a feature of the sport or position. Diet questions often name a type of performer: tailor the answer to the energy and recovery needs of that activity. For dehydration, explain the effect on the body and then the effect on performance in the activity given. Data questions may show energy intake against expenditure or the composition of a diet: describe the figures, then explain what they mean for the performer.
Quick revision summary
- Health = complete physical, mental and social well-being.
- Physical benefits: efficient heart, less illness, easier daily tasks, avoiding obesity. Mental: less stress, serotonin release, emotional control. Social: friendship, cooperation, teamwork.
- Sedentary lifestyle: obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, poor sleep, low self-esteem, lethargy.
- Obesity limits cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, agility, speed and power.
- Somatotypes: endomorph (more fat), mesomorph (muscular), ectomorph (tall and thin).
- Energy: about 2,500 kcal (men) and 2,000 kcal (women) per day, varying with age, gender, height and activity.
- Diet: 55–60% carbohydrate, 25–30% fat, 15–20% protein, plus vitamins, minerals, water and fibre.
- Dehydration: thicker blood, higher heart rate, higher temperature, slower reactions, fatigue and cramp.