Bioenergetics

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Objectives
Describe three energy systems
Describe energy production differences
Understand chemical reactions
Define metabolism
Define intensity and duration differences in energy

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Bioenergetics
The study of sources of energy in living
organisms and how that energy is
ultimately utilized
For any physical activity, energy must
be generated and used by the body to
accomplish the task

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chemical Energy
Food we eat contains chemical energy
Is stored as glycogen, fat, and protein
Can be released to provide the energy
needed to produce adenosine
triphosphate (ATP)

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

ATP
Most important source of energy
supporting muscle contraction during
exercise
Composed of an adenine group, a ribose
group, and three phosphate groups
Formation of ATP occurs by combining
adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and
inorganic phosphate (Pi)

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Metabolism
The sum total of anabolic and catabolic
processes
Anabolic: builds larger substances from
smaller substances
Catabolic: breaks larger compounds into
smaller compounds

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Enzymes
Protein: structured molecules that
facilitate certain chemical reactions by
lowering the energy of activation
Energy of activation: amount of
energy needed to cause a specific
chemical reaction to occur
Enzyme does not become a part of the
product but remains intact as an enzyme

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chemical Reaction
Metabolism begins with a substrate
(the beginning material in the reaction)
In each step, the substrate undergoes a
chemical change catalyzed by enzymes
and is modified; the modified
compounds are intermediates
In the final step, the resulting
compound is referred to as the product
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Negative Feedback System

Rate-limiting enzyme: an enzyme
that catalyzes the slowest step (usually
the first step) in a series of chemical
reactions
To stimulate or inhibit a series of
reactions, a substance must affect the
rate-limiting step

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Energy Systems
Three energy systems provide ATP for
muscular work:
1. Phosphocreatine system
2. Anaerobic glycolitic system
3. Oxidative system

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

At no time is
only one
energy system
used
exclusively.

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

KEY POINT
Exercise intensity is the most important
variable related to which energy system is
activated to produce ATP for muscular
work. Also duration.

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Phosphocreatine System
Capable of supplying most of the ATP
when muscular energy is needed for a
short time
Will supply energy in the beginning
stages of all types of exercise
ATP is produced anaerobically

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Glycolytic System
Also known as anaerobic glycolysis
Involves the breakdown of carbohydrate
anaerobically to produce energy
Two types of glycolysis
Fast glycolysis
Slow glycolysis

Produces a net gain of 2 ATPs, but has

the ability to proceed when there is no O2
present
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Slow Glycolysis
Aerobic glycolysis
Pyruvate is converted to acetyl-CoA if
oxygen is present and to lactic acid if no
oxygen is present

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Fast Glycolysis
Breaks down glucose (CHO) to pyruvate
and eventually to lactic acid
anaerobically with the net production of
2 ATPs
If glycogen is the substrate, 1 ATP is
saved and there is a net production of 3
ATPs

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Oxidative System
Aerobically oxidizes or burns
carbohydrates (or other carboncontaining structures obtained from fat
or protein)
Two parts
Krebs cycle
Electron transport system

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

KEY POINT
The aerobic system can produce many
more ATPs per molecule of glucose than
the anaerobic system, but it cannot
produce ATP rapidly; the intensity must
remain at or below steady state.

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Krebs Cycle
Series of enzyme-controlled metabolic
reactions
Located in the mitochondria
Plays an integral role in oxidizing
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Generates electrons for the ETS

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Electron Transport
Systems (ETS)
Located in the inner membrane of the
mitochondria
Responsible for the aerobic production
of ATP
Many ATP molecules are generated in
the ETS
Uses electron carriers FAD+ and NAD+
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Lactate

Lactic acid formed from fast glycolysis is

immediately changed into lactate
Is a useful metabolic compound that can
be transported to the liver and changed to
glucose (gluconeogensis). Then used by
body as fuel during recovery from exercise.
Lactate threshold: represents the point
where blood lactate begins to increase in a
nonlinear fashion at a specific exercise
intensity; can be used as a predictor of
performance
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Efficiency of EnergyProducing Pathways

Depends on the demands of the activity
Anaerobic energy systems are the most
efficient at producing ATP immediately
Aerobic energy system is the most
efficient for producing ATP over a
continuous time

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Limiting Factors of
Performance
Factors that limit performance relate to:
Buildup of metabolic by-products (lactic acid
and possibly ammonia)
Depletion of PCr, or the depletion of
substrate (fats, carbohydrates, or proteins)

Limiting metabolic factor in a given activity

depends on the energy system involved in
the activity, which is determined by the
intensity and duration of the activity
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Oxygen Consumption
Ability of the body to take in and use
oxygen to produce energy
Maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2max) is
considered a measure of cardiorespiratory
endurance
Initial portion of energy supplied
anaerobically during exercise is termed
the oxygen deficit
Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Oxygen Consumption

(cont.)

After exercise, this shortfall must be

replenished aerobically and this is called
oxygen debt or excess postexercise
oxygen consumption (EPOC)
Exercise where the oxygen supply is
equal to the oxygen demand is called
steady-state exercise

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Metabolic Specificity
If training is to be specific to an actual
sport or activity, then the training must
focus on the same metabolic energy
pathways used in the sport or activity
The training of energy systems involves
manipulating both the intensity and the
duration of the activity

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown

Chandler/Brown: Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance

2008 T. Jeff Chandler and Lee E. Brown