Fitness Fundamentals & Emergency First Aid Essentials

Understanding Key Health & Fitness Concepts

Maximum Heart Rate (FCM) Formulas

Maximum Heart Rate (FCM) is a crucial metric for exercise intensity. Various formulas are used to estimate it:

• General Formula: 220 - Age
• Alternative for Men: 210 - (0.5 x Age) - 1% of Body Weight + 4
• For Men (H): 208.7 - (0.73 x Age)
• For Women (M): 0.77 (This value may be a multiplier or part of a larger formula.)

Lactate: Production and Role in the Body

Lactate is an organic product that occurs in every person's body. It is primarily produced by muscles burning glucose for energy. The primary source of lactate is the decomposition of a carbohydrate called glycogen. Lactate is a very dynamic substance because it is produced and utilized in different parts of the body and muscles as aerobic energy is used.

Anaerobic Threshold

The Anaerobic Threshold is the limit at which a person's oxygen intake cannot meet the physical effort being exerted. When it comes to aerobic performance, a low threshold indicates that energy pathways are limited and only serve to maintain activity for a short time.

Principles of Training Adaptation

Effective training follows several key principles:

• Adaptation Plateau: The physical body adapts to its usual exercise practice and may resist further improvement without new stimuli.
• Principle of Progression: The body supports and adapts to increased efforts, requiring gradual increases in training load.
• Principle of Continuity: It is necessary to practice physical exercise regularly to benefit from the effects of compensation and maintain fitness levels.
• Principle of Alternation: Training should combine different physical qualities (e.g., strength, endurance, flexibility) to promote holistic development.

Supercompensation Phenomenon

Supercompensation is a phenomenon that can be compared with the arrival of reinforcements. After a training stimulus, the body recovers and then adapts to a higher level of performance. If a new workout is performed when the body has returned to its starting level (i.e., without proper timing), the muscle returns to its initial state. However, if training is periodic and timed correctly, the initial fitness level improves over time.

Body Metrics: BMI and BMR

Understanding these metrics helps assess body composition and energy needs:

• Body Mass Index (BMI): Calculated as weight (kg) / height² (m²).
• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The amount of energy your body needs at rest when all systems are functioning and maintaining a constant temperature. BMR is the minimum energy required to stay alive and depends on many factors such as gender, age, and height.

Essential First Aid Procedures

The PAS Protocol: Protect, Alert, Succor

The PAS protocol is a fundamental sequence in first aid:

1. Protect: Secure the accident scene to prevent further incidents and ensure safety.
2. Alert: Notify authorities by the quickest possible means, indicating the location and type of accident, the number of injured, their condition, and any dangers that might worsen the situation.
3. Succor (Assist): Provide immediate care to the victim until authorized personnel arrive.

Before an accident, we must act rapidly, staying calm and assessing the victims. Address the injured by following an order of priorities, evaluating their condition, and taking precautionary measures when handling the accident.

Emergency Maneuvers for Airway Obstruction

• Heimlich Maneuver: An emergency technique for preventing suffocation when a person's airway is blocked by food or another object. The person performing the maneuver stands behind the victim, places their arms around the victim's waist, positions a fist above the victim's navel, and presses hard upwards and inwards to increase respiratory pressure and dislodge the object.
• Head-Tilt/Chin-Lift Maneuver: Involves lifting the chin upwards and tilting the head back to open the individual's airway.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) serves to increase a person's chances of survival until permanent medical help arrives. To perform CPR, first check for a response from the individual. If there is no response, the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver should be performed to open the airway for better breathing. Then, perform two rescue breaths (mouth-to-mouth) and begin chest compressions (heart massage).