VCE Subject Spotlight

Health & PE

On March 21, the Unit 3&4 PE class took part in a live fitness testing session which is part of the VCE PE Study Design. Two students Imogen Luke (Wingate Test) and Poppy Conti (Vo2 Max) volunteered to be subjects. As part of the process METs Performance collected data on Heart Rate, power output, cadence, acute responses to exercise, lactate levels, fatigue and recovery. The data collected will be used as data for School Assessed Coursework.

The lab targeted the following knowledge from the Physical Education Study Design:

  • fuels (both chemical and food) required for resynthesis of ATP at rest and during physical activity, including the relative contribution of fuels at varying exercise intensities
  • characteristics of the three energy systems (ATP–CP, anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic system) for physical activity, including rate of ATP production, the yield of each energy system, fatigue/limiting factors and recovery rates associated with active and passive recoveries
  • interplay of energy systems in relation to the intensity, duration and type of activity
  • oxygen uptake at rest, and during exercise and recovery, including oxygen deficit, steady state, and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption
  • acute physiological responses to exercise in the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems

Congratulations to the class for their insightful questions and contribution to discussion. Tyler was impressed with the willingness of the group to engage in discussion and the level of questioning. A special thank you to Imogen and Poppy for putting themselves under significant strain to produce some excellent data.

Mark Smith

On Tuesday Unit 3&4 PE class had the chance to be part of the live demonstration of VO2 max and Wingate test. Tyler from the company METS Performance came to our school to conduct our practical test demonstrations. The VO2 max test demonstration performed by Poppy, looks at Aerobic Power. A VO2 max test involves performing a maximal exercise test on a bike while attached to a device that can monitor your breathing. The test provides information on the amount of oxygen you use while exercising and establishes the maximum amount of oxygen you can inhale while exercising. And the Wingate test demonstration performed by Imogen, analysing Anaerobic capacity. The Wingate test is a 30-second sprint against a brake force on a stationary cycle. The test assesses the maximum anaerobic power generated at the start, the average anaerobic capacity generated throughout the course of the 30-second test, and the fatigue index.
Kelsey Chatterton, Sport Prefect and Year 12 PE Student