Energy Systems and ATP Production

How Does Training Affect Performance?

Energy Systems

• The body utilizes three energy systems to produce ATP based on exercise intensity and duration.
• The three systems are: Alactacid (ATP/PC) system, Lactic Acid system, and Aerobic system.

Where Does Energy Come From?

• Energy originates from food, mainly carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which break down into glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids.
• When energy is needed, the body converts digested food into ATP.
• Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is a high-energy compound powering cell functions and muscle contraction.
• ATP is composed of adenosine and three phosphate molecules; its breakdown into ADP + phosphate releases energy.
• Carbohydrates break down into glucose for quick energy.
• Fats provide long-lasting energy, mainly during low-intensity activities.
• Proteins are for energy only if necessary, and for muscle repair.

Alactacid System (ATP/PC)

• It provides quick energy bursts (up to 10 seconds) quickly without oxygen or lactic acid.
• It relies on stored ATP and creatine phosphate (PC) in muscles, used in sprinting or heavy lifting.
• The ATP/PC system is the fastest way to produce energy, primarily used for short, explosive movements.
• The fuel source is creatine phosphate
• It works efficiently to make ATP rapidly available
• ATP supplies are exhausted after 2 seconds of hard work and CP supplies are exhausted in a further 10 to 15 seconds
• Fatigue from inability continually resynthesise ADP from CP
• There are no by-products or waste. Only heat during contraction
• Within two minutes most ATP and CP supplies are fully restored, with 50% of CP replenishment in the first 30 sec of rest.
• Examples include sprint starts, discus throws, high jumps, and powerlifts.

Lactic Acid System

• Provides energy for high-intensity activities lasting 30 seconds to 3 minutes without oxygen, but produces lactic acid causing muscle fatigue.
• Once PC stores deplete, this system becomes the main ATP supplier.
• It is associated with 400m sprints or intense circuit training.
• Body sources new fuel in the form of blood glucose or glycogen stores in the muscle to keep going.
• Lactic acid is created because of insufficient oxygen and the partial breakdown of glucose, providing limited ATP production
• Anaerobic glycolysis produces energy by the partial breakdown of the glucose without the need for oxygen
• The fuel source is glucose or glycogen
• ATP is produced quickly, requires large quantities of glucose.
• Operates for approximately 30-60 seconds at maximum effort and 3 minutes at lower efforts
• Fatigue occurs when lactic acid levels rapidly build up within the muscle cells
• Lactic acid diffuses from the muscle into the bloodstream, which takes about 30-60 minutes
• Examples include 200m swim, 50m swim, and some aspects of games.

Aerobic System

• Provides energy for long-duration, low to moderate-intensity activities using oxygen, with no harmful byproducts.
• The main system for endurance activities.
• Examples include running a marathon or cycling.
• The system uses oxygen to make ATP.
• Once the body reaches anaerobic threshold, it slows, allowing oxygen to convert pyruvic acid into carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, preventing lactic acid production.
• Once the body slows due to lactic acid and hydrogen ion buildup, oxygen enables aerobic glycolysis.
• The fuel source is carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
• It is an extremely efficient system in the metabolism of fuel and provision of energy, which is high and very efficient with a slow rate
• Operates for up to 12 hours of rest, 1 hour of hard work, or 4-6 hours of intermittent exercise
• Accumulation of lactate and hydrogen ion, and depletion of glycogen stores of overheating, cause fatigue
• The by products are carbon dioxide and water.
• Glycogen replenishment can take 6-48 hours.
• Suitable activities are marathons, cycling, and rowing

Comparison Of By-Products Of The Aerobic And Anaorebic Systems

• Aerobic systems generates carbon dioxide and water, that is expelled easily.
• Anaerobic system produces lactic acid.
• While aerobic supports long duration activities, anaerobic offers bursts, with lactic acid buildup.

Types of Training Methods

• Aerobic
• Anaerobic
• Flexibility
• Strength training

Aerobic Training

• Designed to train the aerobic energy system to be more efficient at using oxygen, and improve the efficiency of the cardiorespiratory system in delivering oxygen to working muscles.

Types of Aerobic Training

• Continuous excercising nonstop for a minimum of 20 minutes up to several hours which builds aerobic bases suitable for events of continuous nature. HR must be above aerobic threshold.
• Fartlek training (speed play) is continuous training with bursts of high intensity efforts.
• Overloads the anaerobic threshold with varying speed and intensities.
• Sessions may include 30 minutes with 15 sprints of 30-120 metres
• It assists in lactic acid removal and in tolerance development.
• Aerobic Interval Training is alternating sessions if high intensity with recovery periods that is effective for anaerobic threshold.
• Develops high levels of fitness. This lets athletes be progressively overloaded and allows time for body to adapt
• Varying rest periods, bout times, repetitions, and heart rate intensity will ensure training is sport specific
• Circuit training combines a series of exercises with minimal to no rest, develops whole body fitness, and can improve in aerobic capacity.
• Circuits can be for all round fitness

Aerobic training application

• Suited to sports requiring the aerobic system, e.g. marathons, cycling, swimming, rugby, soccer, netball
• Builds aerobic base and capacity, increases the anaerobic threshold.
• Increases effort at give heart rate, and promotes faster recovery
• Improves ability to perform for longer, enables to surge, and improves technique and muscular endurance.

Anaerobic Training

• Anaerobic Interval: Short, limited recovery work develops power, strength, and tolerance to lactic acid.
• Develops muscular endurance due to increased carrying capacity of oxygen to working muscles and increased blood volume
• Intervals of short duration and high intensity can target both anaerobic energy systems.
• A minimum two minutes rest it allows creatine phosphate time to replenish
• Advantages include better lactate tolerance, cardiovascular efficiency
• Strength, power, and speed are major components for athletic performance

Anaerobic training application

• Suited to ATP-PC or lactic acid system sports like athletic field events, weightlifting, sprints, tennis, rugby, netball.
• It gives the ability to exert force/power, increases acceleration speed, increases anaerobic capacity
• Increases power of the ATP-PC and of lactic acid energy systems, acceleration and the amount of times an athlete can repeat powerful movements.

Flexibility Training

• Refers to the ability to move a muscle through a completed range of motion.
• It increases movement performance by increasing the range of motion of joints, flexibility and aesthetics
• Less tension in muscles
• Increased relaxation
• Increased range of motion of the muscle/limb
• Prevents injury

Types of Flexibility Training

• Static stretching which does not require the athlete to move, focuses on one or more muscles. The most commonly used form of stretching where the muscle is slowly taken to the end of its range and held for 10-30 seconds
• Used extensively with athletes recovering from injury to ensure that the muscle fibres are being aligned properly in rehabilitation phase.
• Dynamic training involves actively moving body parts being stretched to increase the length of the muscle. It is a controlled movement, taking the muscle to its limit but does not force the muscle beyond its regular range of motion.
• Ballistic training includes bouncing movements at the end of the range of motion which is high risk.
• It is movement of the body to force it further than normal. It can override the stretch reflex mechanism and cause injury
• PNF Involves a static stretch followed by an isometric contraction followed by a static stretch. A muscle group is statically stretched, and then contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position, force is generated without a change in muscle length.

Flexibility training application

• All Sports will benefit including those high in movement like gymnastics and diving.
• Allows developments in the extent of body movement, better body awareness
• Benefits from less tension in muscles, increased range of motion of joints and challenging movements

Strength Training

• Assists with body composition, core support, structure
• Improves muscular strength, power, endurance and the development of muscle hypertrophy
  • Strength is the ability to exert force against a resistance
• It is developed through resistance training programs
• Strength develops through muscles contracting against resistance

Types of Strength Training

• Free/fixed weights target and develop multiple muscle groups to mimic sport-specific movements like machine weights, weight plates, dumbbells and barbells
• Elastic training is portable, easy to use, and trains specific muscles
• Advantages include feeling resistance during entire motion
• Hydraulic training ensures consistent technique and resistance through the range of motion.
• It mirrors the resistance of competition and includes cylinders that feature adjustable settings.

Strength training application

• Suitable for power/strength sports such as weightlifting, rugby and sprinting
• Allows muscle hypertrophy in specific muscle groups.
• Increases power and endurance capacitors, with a better posture and joint-support
• Increases speed and/or time frame before fatigue, and improves technique due to hypertrophy.

Principles of Training

• Progressive overload
• Specificity
• Reversibility
• Variety
• Training thresholds
• Warm-up and cool-down

Purpose of Principals

1. Sessions are specific
2. Athletes train at the right workload
3. Rest is timed correctly
4. Athletes improve faster

Progressive Training

• Means slowly increase exercise difficulty over time.
• Overload:
  • FIT Frequency Intensity time
  • More weight
  • More sets
  • Less Rest
  • No more than 10%
  • Overtraining is dangerous.

Specificity

• Athletes have to specifically train the needed energy system.
• Aerobic athletes should train for longer with no breaks
• Anaerobic athletes should train for shorter with specific muscles.

Reversibility

• Adaptaions get lost after a long break
• To counteract: use use it or lose it
• Aerobic training will disappear within 6 weeks, while anaerobic fades within 2 weeks.

Variety

• Prevents boredom and trains holistically
• Should cover every components and muscle group

Training Threshold

• Is the zone that athletes have to train within to improve.
• Aerobic athletes should train between 60%-80% of their max to improve
• Anaerobic athletes should train between 80%-90% during their maximum
• Above 90%: onset of blood lactate accumulation.

Warm-Up and Cool-Down

• Warm-up is where heart rates increase and muscles get prepared
• Cool-down lowers all stats and reduces risks of cramp

Physiological Adaptations in Response to Training

• Training leads to physiological changes that impacts different body systems such as oxygen uptake, haemoglobin Level, muscle hypertrophy and fast or low muscle fibres

Resting Heart Rate

• Is measured in heart-beats per minute whilst resting
• Decreases with SV and higher CO, thus increasing blood amount the heart needs to pump which reduces beat number
  • Cardiac Output is the product of SV multiplied by Hr
• Aerobic training decrease rates, and resistance training has minimal effect Progressive fitness means lower heart rates
• Under Proressive Overload and specific threshold

Stroke Volume and Cardiac Output

• Stroke Volume is the amount of blood pumped by the heart per beat, while CO is the total volume per minute Stroke and Cardiac Output is the adaptation of the body to increase oxygen and remove waste for endurance

Oxygen Uptake and Lung Capacity

• Uptake is the amount of oxygen a person can consume
• As uptake goes up, transportation is quicker
• The increased uptake is the product of increased Haemoglobin level, higher output and high ventilation rates that absorb increased levels of exercise
• Lung Capacity is the amount of air someone can move in and out of their lungs per breath
• Exports oxygen with a rise in ventilation

Haemoglobin Level

• Oxygen is carried by the haemoglobin which levels are enhanced by training such as aerobic training
• Is impacted by progressive Overload

Muscle Hypertrophy

• Is the increase of muscle size due to exercise
• Resistance and Specificity are principles

Effect on Fast/Slow Twitch Muscle Fibres

• Fast II twitch fibres are for short bursts such as springing are enhance by fast movements,
• Slow fibres use endurance for longer speeds.

Motivation

• Positive: Driven by happiness, motivation and rewards
  • Can be golfers
• Negative: Driven yo avoid to avoid punishments
  • Can be boxers and body builders Positive is easier to improve than negative, and vice versa.

Types Of Motivation

• Intrinsic: Internal motivation due to an internal desire External: Motivation is from outside