AQA GCSE Physical Education Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport, June 2025: Question 5

1 mark · Easy difficulty · Multiple Choice

Identify which muscular action occurs when the leg bends at the knee whilst running.

Practise this question

Question

Question 05 asking 'Which one of these occurs when the leg bends at the knee whilst running?' with four options: A: 'The hamstrings contract and the quadriceps relax', B: 'The hamstrings relax and the quadriceps relax', C: 'The quadriceps contract and the hamstrings contract', and D: 'The quadriceps contract and the hamstrings relax'. Worth 1 mark.
Question text

05 Which one of these occurs when the leg bends at the knee whilst running?

[1 mark]

A The hamstrings contract and the quadriceps relax

B The hamstrings relax and the quadriceps relax

C The quadriceps contract and the hamstrings contract

D The quadriceps contract and the hamstrings relax

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme Mark scheme for Question 05 indicating that the question assesses AO2 with 1 mark, giving the correct answer as 'Answer A – The hamstrings contract and the quadriceps relax (1)'.

05 Which one of these occurs when the leg bends at the knee whilst running?

[1 mark]

Marks for this question: AO2 = 1

Answer A – The hamstrings contract and the quadriceps relax (1)

How to answer it

Muscle Pairs & Movement: Antagonistic Action at the Knee

📋 What this question tests

This question assesses AO2 (application of knowledge to a physical activity context). You need to identify which movement is occurring at the knee joint during running (flexion) and correctly apply how the antagonistic muscle pair (quadriceps and hamstrings) work together to produce this movement.

Question 05 • 1 Mark

Antagonistic Muscle Action during Knee Flexion

Which one of these occurs when the leg bends at the knee whilst running?

✅ Correct Answer

A: The hamstrings contract and the quadriceps relax

Mark Scheme: 1 mark (AO2) awarded directly for selecting option A.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • Movement: "Bending at the knee" is anatomically known as flexion.
  • Agonist (Prime Mover): The hamstrings contract (shorten) to pull the heel towards the buttocks.
  • Antagonist: The quadriceps relax and lengthen to allow the movement to take place.
  • Muscles can only pull, never push, so they must work in antagonistic pairs.
Joint Action at Knee Agonist (Contracts) Antagonist (Relaxes) Sporting Example
Flexion (Bending) Hamstrings Quadriceps Leg lifting up behind during running stride / preparation to kick
Extension (Straightening) Quadriceps Hamstrings Striking a football / driving forward off the ground

🧠 Exam Technique: Two-Step Elimination

  1. Rule out impossible pairings: Muscles work antagonistically—one must contract while the other relaxes. Options B (both relax) and C (both contract) can be eliminated instantly!
  2. Identify the primary mover: Picture the movement. Bending the knee pulls the lower leg backwards. The muscle at the back of the thigh is the hamstrings, so they must be contracting. This leaves A as the only correct choice.

❌ Common Errors

  • Selecting D: Confusing flexion (bending) with extension (straightening). If the quadriceps contract and the hamstrings relax, the leg straightens.
  • Confusing muscle locations: Remembering that quadriceps are on the front of the thigh and hamstrings are on the back of the thigh prevents mixing up which muscle pulls the leg into a bent position.

Topics

3.1 The human body and movement in physical activity and sport · 3.1.1 Applied anatomy and physiology

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Physical Education examination, Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport, June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.