**2026 HOT TOPIC** The nervous system Cardiac control Breathing control Thermoregulation

**2026 HOT TOPIC** Hormones and glands Reproductive hormones and health

Homeostasis

Cardiovascular values Respiratory values

Intake and loss Dehydration Measures of water and electrolyte balance Regulation of water and electrolyte balance Cardiovascular drift

Macronutrients Nutritional strategies for macronutrients LEA

The energy systems Energy continuum Oxidative system **2026 HOT TOPIC** Glycolytic system Phosphagen system VO₂ max

Principles of training Measuring baselines Periodisation of training Adaptive responses Training programmes

Individual differences and activity Energy balance Effects of physical activity

Impact of environment 1 - Temperature and humidity (HL) Impact of environment 2 - Altitude (HL)

Micronutrients (HL) **2026 HOT TOPIC** The gut microbiome (HL)

Lactate inflection point (HL) EPOC (HL)

Exercise intensity and injury (HL) Physical and mental health for target groups (HL)

Origins of fatigue (HL) Recovery from exercise (HL) Other factors affecting recovery (HL)

Structure and functions of the skeleton Positional terminology

Planes Axes Movement patterns

Connective tissues Types of joints

Motor units Role of ATP Muscle fibre types Hypertrophy and atrophy Types of muscular contraction Antagonistic pairs

Levers inside the body Levers outside the body

Introduction to Newton's laws of motion Stability **2026 HOT TOPIC** Net Forces: Vertical **2026 HOT TOPIC** Net Forces: Horizontal **2026 HOT TOPIC** Linear motion Impulse Angular motion and angular momentum

**2026 HOT TOPIC** Factors affecting the motion of projectiles

Phases of movement

Intrinsic factors Extrinsic factors Acute trauma

Methods of reducing the risk of injury Injury treatment Concussion treatment

Anthropometry and anthropometric databases (HL)

Sliding filament theory 1 (HL) Sliding filament theory 2 (HL)

Coefficient of restitution (HL) Friction (HL)

Work, power and energy (HL)

Effect of environmental conditions (HL) Buoyancy, lift and drag (HL) Bernoulli principle (HL) Magnus effect (HL)

Chronic injuries (HL)

Personality 1

Mental toughness 1 Mental toughness 2

Information processing model Ecological model Open- and closed-loop theory **2026 HOT TOPIC** Schema theory and motor patterns Phases of learning

Reaction time Psychological refractory period Strategies to improve response time

Transfer of learning

Attentional control Self-talk, goal setting and attention

Achievement motivation Goal orientation theory

**2026 HOT TOPIC** Self-determination theory

Mastery and ego climates

Arousal 1 Arousal 2 IZOF Anxiety and Anxiety Theories Measuring anxiety

Managing stressors Self-talk

Types of goals

Personality 2 (HL)

Self-fulfilling prophecy (HL) Learned helplessness (HL) Attribution theory (HL)

Task and ego orientation (HL)

Six mini theories of self-determination (HL)

Controllable and uncontrollable stressors (HL) Coping strategies (HL)

The goal-setting paradox (HL)

Purpose of imagery (HL) The PETTLEP model (HL) **2026 HOT TOPIC** Paivio's framework (HL)