Adaptations to Exercise

Question 1

What catabolism?

Answer 1

Breaking molecules down in the body

Question 2

What is Anabolism?

Answer 2

Building molecules back up in the body

Question 3

What is VO2 max?

Answer 3

This is the amount of oxygen your body uses while exercising as hard as you can

Question 4

What is anaerobic threshold?

Answer 4

This is the point at which your body must switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. This point is referred to as VO2 max.

Question 5

What is the respiratory exchange ratio (RER)?

Answer 5

This is the ratio between the volume of CO2 being produced by the body and the amount of O2 being consumed.
A RER of 1 indicates that glucose is the main fuel source. A RER of 0.7 indicates that fat is the main fuel source while an RER of 0.85 indicates that there is a 50:50 mix of glucose and fat as the fuel sources.

Question 6

How does training increase exercise capacity?

Answer 6

Increase in the number and size of mitochondria so more aerobic respiration can take place
Increase in size of muscle cells so can hold more oxygen
Muscles glycogen stores increase and the ability to use fat as an energy source

Question 7

How can the RER be greater than 1?

Answer 7

This is because an individual is working anaerobically. Lactate increases the proton concentration in muscles. H+ ions then combine with bicarbonate ions to form carbonic acid which dissociates (with carbonic anhydrase) to form CO2 and H2O. The CO2 is then exhaled from the lungs meaning more CO2 is exhaled than the amount of O2 inhaled.

Question 8

What is meant by BMR?

Answer 8

Basal Metabolic Rate- this is your daily total calorie needs