Energy Metabolism Flashcards
What is a kilocalorie (kCal)?
- A measure of heat that expresses a food’s energy value
- 1 kCal = quantity of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water 1 degree C
Energy Value of the Macronutrients
- Carbohydrate = 4 kCal/g
- Fat = 9 kCal/g
- Protein = 4 kCal/g
Bioenergetics
The flow and exchange of energy within a living system
Oxidation Reaction
Reactions that:
- Involve electron loss (always)
- Transfer oxygen, hydrogen atoms, or electrons
Reduction Reaction
Reactions that involve electron gain (always)
Reducing Agent
Substance that donates or loses electrons as it oxidizes
Oxidizing Agent
Substance that gains electrons as it is reduced
ATP
- Food macronutrients provide major sources of potential energy but do not transfer directly to biologic work
- The PE within ATP powers all of the cell’s energy-requiring processes
- Represents the cell’s energy currency
ATP Composition
Adenosine linked to 3 phosphates
ATP Hydrolyzation
- ADP forms when ATP joins with water
- Reaction catalyzed by ATPase
Locations of ATP Production in the Cell
- Mitochondria
- Cytosol
The Cell’s Major Energy-Transforming Activities
- Extract PE from food and conserve it within ATP bonds
- Extract and transfer the chemical energy in ATP to power biologic work
ATP Supply
- Cells contain only a small quantity of ATP (80-100 g)
- Has to be continually resynthesized
Primary Means of ATP Production
- ATP-PCr
- Glycolysis
- Oxidative phosphorylation
Phosphocreatine
- Some energy for ATP resynthesis comes from anaerobic splitting of a phosphate from PCr
- Cells store ~4-6x more PCr than ATP
- Reaches its max energy yield in about 10 seconds
- Reaction catalyzed by phosphocreatine kinase (PCK)
Function of ATP-PCr System
High intensity exercise of short duration
Glycolysis
- Breakdown of glucose
- Occurs in the cytosol of the cell
Glucose
Blood sugar (CHO)
Glycogen
- Storage form of glucose
- Chain of glucose molecules
- Synthesized by glycogen synthase
- Some stored in muscle and liver
Glycogenesis
Formation of glycogen
Glycogenolysis
Breakdown of glycogen
Glyconeogenesis
Formation of “new” glucose from other substances, such as protein and fat
Forms of Carbohydrate Breakdown
- Aerobic glycolysis
- Anaerobic glycolysis
Aerobic Glycolysis
- Pyruvate becomes the end product
- Slow Process
Anaerobic Glycolysis
- Results in lactate formation
- Rapid process
Enzymes for Glycolysis
- Hexokinase
- Phosphofructokinase
- Pyruvate kinase
Hexokinase
- Phosphorylates glucose
- Makes glucose-6-phosphate
Phosphofructokinase
- Phosphorylates glucose-6-phosphate
- Makes fructose-1,6-biphosphate
Pyruvate Kinase
- Responsible for ADP + P –> ATP at the end of glycolysis
- Makes pyruvate for Kreb Cycle
Glycolysis is Regulated by
- Concentrations of the enzymes
- Levels of the substrate fructose-1,6-biphosphate
- Oxygen
Products of Glycolysis (per glucose)
- ATP –> 2 from glucose
- ATP –> 3 from glycogen
- NADH –> 2
- Pyruvate –> 2
Intermediate Step
- Pyruvate is converted into Acetyl CoA (aerobic)
- Pyruvate is converted into Lactate (anaerobic)
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase
- Oxidizes pyruvate
- Removes a carbon to make CO2
- Reduces NAD+ to make NADH
- Adds CoA to the 2-carbon molecule to make Acetyl CoA
Products of the Intermediate Step (per glucose)
NADH –> 2
Energy Metabolism Regulation
Compounds that either inhibit or activate enzymes in the oxidative pathways modulate regulatory control of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle
Enzyme Inhibitors
- ATP
- NADH
Enzyme Activators
- ADP
- NAD+
What has the greatest effect on the rate limiting enzymes for energy metabolism?
Cellular ADP concentrations
When is the Lactic Acid System used?
- Used to phosphorylate ADP during intense, short-duration exercise
- Used in max exercise that usually lasts for 60-180 seconds before rapid and large accumulations of blood lactate occurs
Where does the energy for the Lactic Acid System come from?
- Comes from stored muscle glycogen breakdown via anaerobic glycolysis
- Results in lactate formation
Blood Lactate Threshold
- Occurs when the muscle cells can neither meet the energy demand of exercise aerobically nor oxidize lactate at its rate of formation
- Occurs at a higher percentage of VO2 max for trained vs untrained individuals
Kreb’s Cycle
- Step that follows glycolysis in aerobic metabolism
- Takes Acetyl CoA through the cycle to produce ATP, NADH, and FADH2
- Takes place in the mitochondrial matrix