Blog topic
Sports articles
Warm-ups, aerobic versus anaerobic exercise, progressive overload, VO2 max, interval training, lactate threshold, heart-rate zones, recovery days and reaction time. Exercise physiology explained without the marketing, so you can tell what a training plan is actually asking your body to do.
27 explainers, newest first. Each one ends with real questions from the unit that teaches it, so you can read the explanation and then check whether it stuck.
These are the readable companion to the Sports track, which holds 18 units and 2,157 practice questions. If you are starting the subject rather than looking something up, the study guide is the better place to begin.
How Does Fencing Work? Right of Way, Three Weapons and Electric Scoring
Fencing is a duel with blunted swords, scored by electric contact and, in two of its three weapons, by who had the right to attack. The weapons and the rules.
October 26, 20268 min readHow Does Archery Work? Bows, Arrows and Why Accuracy Beats Strength
A bow stores the energy of a slow pull and releases it into an arrow in a few thousandths of a second. How bow, string and arrow work together.
October 17, 20268 min readHow Does a Curveball Curve? Spin, Air and the Magnus Effect
A spinning ball bends in flight because the air moves faster on one side than the other. The physics of a dropping curveball, a swerving free kick and a slice.
October 15, 20268 min readWhy Is a Marathon 26.2 Miles? A Legend, a Royal Box and a Committee
The odd distance comes from a Greek legend, a 1908 London course laid out for the royal family, and a 1921 decision to make it standard.
October 13, 20266 min readWhat Is Periodisation in Training? Planning the Year, Not the Session
Athletes do not train the same way every week. How a season is divided into phases, why volume and intensity trade places.
October 11, 20267 min readWhat Is the Difference Between Rugby Union and Rugby League?
Two sports with one ancestor and a split in 1895 over paying players. Fifteen against thirteen, rucks against tackle counts.
October 9, 20267 min readHow Golf Scoring Works: Par, Birdies, Handicaps and Match Play
Golf counts strokes and fewer is better. What par means, where the bird names come from, how handicaps work, and match play versus stroke play.
October 7, 20268 min readHow Does Boxing Scoring Work? Rounds, Judges and the Ten-Point Must System
A boxing match is scored round by round by three judges on the ten-point must system. What they reward, how knockdowns count, and why decisions are disputed.
October 5, 20266 min readHow Does a Football League Work? Points, Promotion, Relegation and the Table
A football league is a round robin in which every club plays every other twice. How the points work, why goal difference matters, and what relegation does.
October 2, 20268 min readHow Do Elo Ratings Work? The Maths Behind Chess Rankings
The Elo system gives each player a number and moves it after each game by how surprising the result was. The formula, what a 200-point gap means, and its uses.
September 30, 20269 min readHow Cricket Scoring Works: Runs, Wickets, Overs and Formats
Runs, wickets, overs and extras, why a score like 245 for 6 makes sense, and how Test, one-day and T20 cricket differ. A guide for reading any scorecard.
September 9, 20267 min readWhat Is Offside in Soccer? The Rule Explained Simply
Learn the offside position, when an offence is called, common exceptions, and why timing matters more than simply standing near goal.
August 17, 202610 min readHow Does Tennis Scoring Work? Points, Games, Sets, and Tiebreaks
Learn love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage, games, sets, and tiebreaks so you can follow a tennis match with confidence.
August 17, 20268 min readHow Does Volleyball Scoring Work? Points, Sets, and Rally Scoring
Learn rally scoring, how sets are won, what happens at 24-24, and how a standard indoor volleyball match is decided.
August 17, 20269 min readHow Does Basketball Scoring Work? Points, Free Throws, and Field Goals
Learn how does basketball scoring work, including one, two, and three point shots, free throws, game totals, and the basic scoreboard rules to follow.
August 17, 20269 min readWhat Is VO2 Max? A Simple Guide to Aerobic Fitness
Learn what maximal oxygen uptake measures, how it relates to endurance, and why training, genetics, and testing method matter.
August 14, 20269 min readWhat Is Interval Training? Work and Recovery Explained
Learn how repeated work and recovery periods are structured, why intensity matters, and how intervals differ from steady exercise.
August 14, 20268 min readWhat Is Lactate Threshold? A Simple Endurance Guide
Learn what rising blood lactate can show during exercise, why threshold pace matters, and how athletes estimate it.
August 14, 20269 min readHeart Rate Zone Training: What the Zones Mean for Exercise
Heart rate zone training uses exercise intensity ranges based on heart rate. Learn what zones can show, how estimates work, and why context matters.
August 14, 20269 min readWhy Recovery Days Matter: How Rest Supports Sports Training
Why recovery days matter is simple: training creates stress, while rest helps your body adapt. Learn how recovery supports performance and consistency.
August 14, 202610 min readReaction Time in Sports: What Makes a Response Faster
Reaction time in sports depends on sensing a cue, making a decision, and starting a movement. Learn what affects it and how practice can improve responses.
August 14, 20269 min readMuscular Strength vs Muscular Endurance: What Is the Difference?
Muscular strength vs muscular endurance explains two different fitness abilities. Learn how force, repetitions, training, and testing separate them.
August 14, 20269 min readWhat Is Flexibility in Fitness? Range of Motion Explained
Learn how joint range of motion depends on muscles, connective tissue, structure, temperature, practice, and movement needs.
August 14, 20269 min readWhat Is Agility in Fitness? Changing Direction with Speed and Control
Learn how speed, balance, coordination, strength, and decision-making combine when you change direction in sport.
August 14, 20269 min readWhy Warm Up Before Exercise? What It Does for Your Body
A good warm-up raises temperature, rehearses movement, and prepares your body for harder effort without exhausting you first.
August 13, 20268 min readAerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise: What Is the Difference?
Aerobic vs anaerobic exercise describes different ways your body supplies energy during activity. Learn how intensity, duration, and fuel systems work together.
August 13, 20269 min readWhat Is Progressive Overload? How Training Adapts Over Time
Learn how gradually increasing training demands can support adaptation through more resistance, volume, range, or difficulty.
August 13, 20269 min read