IB SEHS B1.3: Muscular Function Teaching Notes & Revision Guide 2026

A Helpful Resource for Teaching Muscular Function in IB SEHS

This resource covers B1.3 Muscular Function from the IB Diploma Programme Sports, Exercise and Health Science course. It is designed to serve two purposes: as supplemental companion notes for instructors and as structured revision material for students.

What Makes This Resource Useful for SEHS Teachers

Follows the Subject Guide Directly
The content is structured in alignment with the IB SEHS subject guide, ensuring that all required assessment statements related to muscular function are addressed clearly and sequentially. Teachers can follow the progression from muscle structure and fibre types to contraction mechanisms and sport performance applications, ensuring complete syllabus coverage.

Helpful for New Teachers
If you are new to teaching IB SEHS, this resource provides clear and practical explanations of how muscles generate force and contribute to movement. It explains muscle anatomy, sliding filament theory, motor unit recruitment, and fibre type differences, with sport examples designed to make lessons engaging and easy to understand.

Designed for Dual Use
This resource serves as both a reference for instructors and a revision guide for students. Teachers can use it as structured companion notes, while students can use the same material for independent review and exam preparation.

Editable PowerPoint Version Included

In addition to the printable PDF version, this resource includes an editable PowerPoint presentation that mirrors the full content. Teachers can adapt slides, insert diagrams or media, and tailor lessons for different learners and contexts. This makes the resource flexible for classroom teaching, blended learning, and digital delivery.

Content Included

• Muscle tissue types and characteristics
• Structure of skeletal muscle fibres
• Motor units and neuromuscular junctions
• Sliding filament theory of muscle contraction
• Role of actin, myosin, tropomyosin, and calcium ions
• Force production and factors influencing strength
• Muscle fibre types: slow-twitch vs fast-twitch
• Recruitment patterns and sport performance implications
• Muscle roles in movement (agonist, antagonist, stabiliser, synergist)
• Examples linking muscular function to sport and exercise
• Diagrams and structured summaries
• Key terminology for assessment readiness

The resource includes clear explanations, real world sport and exercise examples, and structured summaries that connect physiological theory to practical movement and performance contexts.

This is a straightforward and accessible resource for both teaching and revision; detailed enough to guide lesson delivery and balanced for students preparing confidently for IB SEHS assessments.