Glossary

caffeine—Caffeine is a naturally-occurring substance found in the leaves, seeds or fruits of over 63 plant species worldwide and is part of a group of compounds known as methylxanthines. The most commonly known sources of caffeine are coffee and cocoa beans, cola nuts and tea leaves. Caffeine is a pharmacologically active substance and, depending on the dose, can be a mild central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine does not accumulate in the body and is normally excreted within several hours of consumption.

caffeine—Chemical found in coffee, black tea, and cola drinks with an ability to stimulate the nervous system; In small amounts, it can create mental alertness and has been shown to increase endurance capacity. In larger amounts, it can cause nervousness, anxiety, sleeplessness, and is used medicinally as a diuretic and headache remedy.

calorie—A calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one milliliter (ml) of water at a standard initial temperature by one Celsius degree, specifically between 14.5 and 15.5 degrees Celsius at 1 atmosphere of pressure (sea level). Use of a capital "C" for Calorie indicates 1,000 calories, or one kilocalorie. Calorie is the standard unit for energy measurement in nutrition.

calorie—The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one Celsius degree between 14.5 and 15.5 degrees Celsius; When referring to the energy content of food, the actual calories are kilocalories (1000 calories) and should be written with a capital "C".

Calorie—The standard unit for energy measurement in nutrition. Equal to one kilocalorie or 1,000 calories.

capillaries—Tiny blood channels that are the point of nutrient exchange; Capillaries deliver oxygen to the tissues and withdraw carbon dioxide to be carried through the veins to the heart and lungs. They connect the arterial and venous systems.

carbohydrate (CHO)—An essential nutrient that provides energy to the body; CHOs are also the most efficient fuel for other body functions. Sources of CHO include vegetables, fruit, rice, bread, pasta and whole grains. 1 gm CHO yields 4 kilocalories of energy.

carbohydrate loading—Sequence of up to a week-long regimen of manipulating intensity of training and carbohydrate intake to achieve maximum glycogen storage for an endurance event; primarily benefits athletes participating in events over 60 minutes long, where glycogen can become depleted to inhibit work capacity.

carbohydrate—Carbohydrates are organic compounds that consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They vary from simple sugars containing from three to seven carbon atoms to very complex polymers. Only the hexoses (sugars with six carbon atoms) and pentoses (sugars with five carbon atoms) and their polymers play important roles in nutrition. Carbohydrates in food provide 4 calories per gram. Plants manufacture and store carbohydrates as their chief source of energy. The glucose synthesized in the leaves of plants is used as the basis for more complex forms of carbohydrates. Classification of carbohydrates relates to their structural core of simple sugars, saccharides. Principal monosaccharides that occur in food are glucose and fructose. Three common disaccharides are sucrose, maltose and lactose. Polysaccharides of interest in nutrition include starch, dextrin, glycogen and cellulose.

cardiac cycle—The period from the beginning of one heart beat to the beginning of the next; the systolic and diastolic movement, and the interval in between.

cardiac muscle—One of the body's 3 types of muscle, found only in the heart.

cardiac output—The volume of blood expelled by the ventricles of the heart each minute; equal to the amount of blood ejected at each beat multiplied by the number of beats per minute; usually expressed in liters of blood per minute. The cardiac output can increase with regular aerobic exercise.

cardiopulmonary—Pertaining to the heart and lungs.

cardiorespiratory endurance—The ability to perform large muscle movement over a sustained period; the capacity of the heart-lung system to deliver oxygen for sustained energy production; also called cardiovascular endurance.

cardiorespiratory—Referring to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels working together to deliver oxygen to the body and to remove unwanted waste products such as carbon dioxide.

cardiovascular disease (CVD)—General term for any disease of the heart and blood vessels; includes coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and valvular heart disease.

cardiovascular endurance—See cardiorespiratory endurance.

cardiovascular—Referring to the heart (cardio), blood, and blood vessels (vascular).

caries—See dental caries.

carnitine (L-carnitine)—Carrier protein that assists in the transportation of fats, in the form of Acyl-CoA, across the mitochondrial membrane so they may be oxidized to generate energy. L-carnitine is available as a dietary supplement. Formed from the essential amino acids lysine and methionine.

carotid artery—This artery is located in the neck. It is commonly used for palpating the pulse rate. Note: it is generally considered safest to monitor the pulse at the radial artery when monitoring the pulse of someone other than one’s self.

cartilage—The dense connective tissue that covers the joint surfaces of the bones; The area where bones meet this smooth, semi-opaque material provides a "frictionless" surface for the joint.

catabolism—The breaking down of body tissue, including all processes in which complex substances are progressively broken down into simpler ones; Example, the catabolism of protein in muscle tissue into component amino acids, which occurs in intense training; Both anabolism and catabolism usually involve the release of energy, and together constitute metabolism.

cell membrane—The enveloping capsule of a cell, composed primarily of a lipid bilayer, but including carbohydrates and proteins in addition to the fats and cholesterol that make up the lipid bilayer.

cellulite—Subcutaneous fat (fat stored beneath the skin); although no different from other fat, it has a dimpled appearance caused by the structure of skin fibers covering it.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—The CDC, composed of 11 Centers, Institutes and Offices, aims to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability.

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)—Damage to the brain, often resulting in a loss of function, from impaired blood supply to part of the brain; more commonly known as a stroke.

certification—The act of attesting that an individual or organization has met a specific set of standards; Fitness certifications are established by organizations within the fitness industry.

cervical curve—Curve in the rear neck formed by the seven vertebrae found between the base of the skull to the base of the neck; The cervical curve is slightly concave.

cervical vertebra—One of seven vertebrae found between the base of the skull and the base of the neck.

cholesterol (dietary)—Cholesterol is not a fat, but rather a lipid, which is a classification of molecules that include fats. Cholesterol is vital to life and is found in all cell membranes. It is necessary for the production of bile acids and steroid hormones. Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods. Abundant in organ meats and egg yolks, cholesterol is also contained in meats and poultry. Vegetable oils and shortenings are cholesterol-free.

cholesterol (serum, or blood)—High blood cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. Most of the cholesterol that is found in the blood is manufactured by the body, in the liver, at a rate of about 800 to 1,500 milligrams a day. By comparison, the average American consumes 300 to 450 milligrams daily in foods. Cholesterol is carried by proteins in the body in the form of lipoproteins. The most abundant lipoproteins include low-density (LDL), high-density (HDL), and very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL). LDL seems to be the culprit in coronary heart disease and is popularly known as the "bad cholesterol." By contrast, HDL is increasingly considered desirable and known as the "good cholesterol."

cholesterol—A type of lipid (fatty substance) that builds inside tissues; The body produces cholesterol, or it is obtained form eating animal products. The total cholesterol is not as important as the ratio of low-density lipoproteins, LDLs to high-density lipoproteins, HDLs. The recommended ratio is below 5 to 1. Cholesterol accumulation in the arteries due to excess saturated fats in the diet and lack of exercise leads to atherosclerosis.

chondromalacia—The wearing away or softening of articular cartilage, usually occurring in the back of the kneecap; A cracking sound in the knee or grating feeling is typical of chondromalacia.

chromosome—Thread-like components in the cell that contain DNA. They make proteins. Genes are carried on the chromosomes.

chronic disuse—Any disease state that persists over a long period of time.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—A disease process or condition, such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema, in which the ability of the lungs to perform ventilation properly is decreased (there is chronic obstruction of air flow); see also asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.

chronic—Descriptive of a condition that persists over a long period of time; opposite of acute.

circuit training—A form of training that takes the participant through a series of exercise stations, sometimes with brief rest intervals in between; can emphasize muscular endurance, aerobic conditioning, muscular strength, or a combination of all three.

circumduction—The circular movement of a limb; a combination of flexion, abduction, extension and adduction movements.

clinical trials—Clinical trials undertake experimental study of human subjects. Trials may attempt to determine whether the finds of basic research are applicable to humans, or to confirm the results of epidemiological research. Studies may be small, with a limited number of participants, or they may be large intervention trials that seek to discover the outcome of treatments on entire populations. The "gold standard" clinical trials are double-blind, placebo-controlled studies which employ random assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups unknown to the subject or the researcher.

collagen—The main constituent of connective tissue, such as ligaments, tendons and muscles.

complete proteins—Foods that contain all essential amino acids; Most meats and dairy products are considered complete protein foods.

concentric (contraction/action)—A muscle develops enough force to overcome a resistance, thus shortening the muscle and creating a movement in the direction of the pull; a shortening of the muscle due to a contraction.

conduction—Means of heat transfer through direct contact; Heat transfers from the body to another object through physical contact.

condyloid joint—Bi-axial joint with movement ability that includes flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and circumduction; considered a partial ball-and-socket joint; also referred to as an ellipsoid joint; This joint appears similar to the ball and socket joint except it is smaller and more oval shaped; Example, the wrist joint.

confounding variable or confounding factor—A "hidden" variable that may cause an association which the researcher attributes to other variables.

connective tissue—The tissue that binds together and supports various structures of the body; Examples, ligaments, tendons, and fascia.

Continuing Survey of Food Intake of Individuals (CSFII) —A part of the National Nutrition Monitoring System which was the first nationwide dietary intake survey designed to be conducted annually. The survey is conducted by the USDA.

continuous training—Conditioning exercise, such as walking, jogging, cycling or aerobic dancing, in which the prescribed intensity is maintained continuously between 50 and 85 percent of maximal oxygen consumption (functional capacity) and for a prolonged period of time.

contraction—The shortening or tightening of a muscle; The two phases of contraction include the concentric (shortening) phase and the eccentric (lengthening) phase.

contra-indicated (movements)—Movements that present a very high risk of injury and that should normally be avoided.

control group—The group of subjects in a study to whom a comparison is made in order to determine whether an observation or treatment has an effect. In an experimental study it is the group that does not receive a treatment. Subjects are as similar as possible to those in the test or treatment group.

controlled experiment—In this type of research, study subjects (whether animal or human) are selected according to relevant characteristics, and then randomly assigned to either an experimental group, or a control group. Random assignment ensures that factors known as variables, which may affect the outcome of the study, are distributed equally among the groups and therefore could not lead to differences in the effect of the treatment under study. The experimental group is then given a treatment (sometimes called an intervention), and the results are compared to the control group, which does not receive treatment. A placebo, or false treatment, may be administered to the control group. With all other variables controlled, differences between the experimental and control groups may be attributed to the treatment under study.

convection—Means of heat transfer through the movement of air or other particles in a medium; similar to the effect of a fan blowing on body; a means of eliminating heat.

cool-down—The tapering-off period of very light activity at the end of a vigorous workout; this slowly cools the body down to a nearly normal core temperature.

core temperature—The temperature of vital internal organs.

coronary artery disease (CAD)—The major form of cardiovascular disease; almost always the result of atherosclerosis; also called coronary heart disease (CHD).

coronary heart disease (CHD)—See coronary artery disease (CAD).

coronary—Of, or relating to, the heart; Coronary arrest is a term for a heart attack; see myocardial infarction.

correlation—An association, or when one phenomenon is found to be accompanied by another. A correlation does not prove cause and effect. Correlation may also be defined statistically.

CP—Creatine phosphate, a high energy molecule used by the muscles to regenerate stored ATP; see also creatine phosphate.

creatine monohydrate - A hydrated, crystallized form of creatine that is used as a supplement to raise stored creatine levels within the muscles.

creatine monohydrate—Supplement that is composed of creatine bound to one molecule of water; thought to increase recovery during intense training by providing a somewhat elevated level of creatine phosphate stores in muscles; see also creatine phosphate or CP.

creatine phosphate (CP)—A high energy phosphate molecule that stores phosphates to assist in the maintain of ATP during levels of increase work. Also known as phosphocreatine (PCR)caffeine—chemical found in coffee, black tea, and cola drinks with an ability to stimulate the nervous system; In small amounts, it can create mental alertness and has been shown to increase endurance capacity. In larger amounts, it can cause nervousness, anxiety, sleeplessness, and is used medicinally as a diuretic and headache remedy.

creatine phosphate (CP)—A high-energy phosphate molecule that is stored in cells and can be used to immediately resynthesize ATP; one of the phosphagens.

creatine phosphate system—System of transfer of chemical energy for resynthesis of ATP supplied rapidly and without oxygen from the breakdown of creatine phosphate (CP); also called ATP-CP system.

cross training—The incorporation of various modalities of exercise; Cross training reduces stress on any one structure, provides variety and can increase exercise adherence.

cross-bridges—Projections of myosin molecules that link with actin filaments to create a grabbing, pulling effect, resulting in contraction.

cross-bridging—Term used to refer to the process of the myosin head attaching to the actin filament during muscular contraction.

crunch(-es)—Abdominal exercise used to isolate the abdominals while, at the same time, eliminates unwanted action from the iliopsoas muscles (hip flexors) and reduces the risk of stress on the lower back; preferred method of abdominal training over sit-ups.

cryotherapy—The use of cold therapy for treatment of injury; Sprains, tears, twists, bruises and bleeding under the skin respond favorably to cryotherapy; suggested use: repeated applications for 24-48 hours or until external swelling is gone.

cutting-up—Slang term referring to the process of reducing bodyfat and water retention to increase muscular definition.

cyanosis—A bluish discoloration, especially of the skin and mucous membranes, due to reduced hemoglobin in the blood.