exercise physiology Flashcards
What GI food should you have before a race and why?
should have a low GI meal prior
- it is digested and absorbed more slowly, resulting in a gradual release of glucose into the blood throughout the duration of the race
Pre event meal (1-4hrs prior): slower release keeps blood glucose levels topped up prior to race
what GI food should be consumed during the race and why?
High GI foods
They are digested and absorbed quickly
-results in a rapid release of glucose into the blood to replenish glycogen stores that have been used during the race
- help with glycogen sparing
what GI foods should be consumed after the competition and why?
High GI foods
they are absorbed quickly
- result in a rapid release of glucose into the blood to replenish glycogen stores that are used during race
- muscles are most responsive
- athletes should consume protein to enhance muscle recovery
- low GI foods eaten as a main meal after event to replenish glycogen
> assists with repletion of muscle and liver glycogen stores in the 24hrs post exercise
What is a balanced diet?
a diet that contains a healthy amount of macronutrients- proteins, CHO and fats as well as essential minerals, vitamins and water
Consuming the correct nutrients ensures the body…
- meets energy demands
- allows tissue growth and repair
- provides energy for metabolic function
what affects the amount of energy consumed each day?
- age of the individual
- sex of the individual
- level of physical activity
- periods of growth
what are the functions of protein?
- growth of muscle tissue
- repair of muscle tissue
- production of rbc, hormones + antibodies
- contribution to ATP production when carbohydrate and fat stores are depleted
how much protein is sufficient for athletes in heavy training?
1.5-2.0g/kg of body mass on a daily basis and wouldn’t require a supplement
How much fats are recommended for a normal diet?
account for ~ 20-30% of a normal diet
What are fats stored as?
stored as triglycerides in muscle cells and broken down into Free Fatty Acids
What are fats?
they are the major energy source during rest (60%) and light to moderate exercise with little input during intense exercise
Why doesnt the body tend to use fats when energy demands are high?
because the body takes a long time to break down fats
are trained athletes better able to break down fats or worse?
better and hence use them as a fuel source at higher intensities leading to glycogen sparing
what happens when someone first ingests
cho?
- first converted to blood glucose leading to a rise in insulin levels
- excess blood glucose converted to glycogen
> glycogen is stored for future use in the muscle and the liver
?80kg person stores ~400g in muscle and 100g in liver
how much energy do CHO yield?
17kj per g
When does CHO supply energy?
- rest
- low to moderate intensity activity
- high intensity exercise
what is the daily recommended dietry intake of CHO for non athletes?
45-55% of total daily caloric intake
~4.2g/kg daily
what is the daily recommended dietry intake of CHO for athletes?
60% total daily caloric intake
~7-8g/kg daily
what is the daily recommended dietry intake of CHO during heavy training?
70% totally daily caloric intake
~ 8-10g/kg daily
what is a glycemic index (GI)?
a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels
measured on a scale from 1-100
examples of low gi foods:
apples, lentils, kidney beans, peanuts, navy beans, sausages
examples of moderate gi foods:
corn, peas, white pasta, sweet potatoes, oranges, oatmeal, green banana
examples of high gi foods:
pure glucose, honey, white bread, white rice, over ripe bananas
what is rebound hypoglycemia?
rapid rise in blood sugar levels causing an overshoot in insulin release
what causes rebound hypoglycemia?
consuming high GI foods, 30-60mins prior to event
why is rebound hypoglycaemia bad?
it significantly reduces blood sugar levels which impairs the functioning of the CNS functioning during exercise causing a negative effect of performance
what is the fuel source based on for ATP production?
duration and intensity of exercise
How does the fuel for energy systems change when intenisty is changed?
low intensity- stored fats are the main energy source
as intensity increases, muscle glycogen contributes more - up to 90 minutes depending on the intensity
bonking occurs
fats become the primary fuel source and intensity of exercise is reduced as fats are more difficult to breakdown
depletion of fats results in protein being used as an energy source
(only occurs in ultra endurance events)
when do athletes ‘hit the wall’?
when muscle glycogen runs out
so the stored liver glycogen kicks in to allow exercise to continue but performance starts to diminish
what is ‘bonking’?
the depletion of liver glycogen
it affects the brain as decision making ability is affected
how does the rate of use of energy change with exercise intensity?
Untrained, low intensity (40% fats: 60% cho)
trained, low intensity (70% fats: 30% cho)
untrained, increased intensity (20% fats: 80% cho)
trained, increased intensity (50% fats: 50% cho)
how should you consume a pre-event meal?
consume 1-4hrs prior to competition
consume low GI foods for slow release of glucose into bloodstream
(body tends to use the foods most recently digested as energy source - this assists with glycogen sparing)
consume ~ 600-1000mL fluid 1hr prior to event to assist with hydration
what are the considerations for a pre-event meal?
- food preference
- digestibility of foods- consume foods low in fat and fibre
what are the advantages for a pre-event meal?
- increase glycogen levels leading to glycogen sparing
- ensure optimal hydration
- ensure gastro-intestinal tract feels comfortable during performance
how should an athlete consume energy during the event?
consume 30-60g of high gi cho per hour, or 1g/kg of body mass every hour
>eg. sports bars, jelly beans etc.
consume ~150-200mL fluid every 15 min to prevent dehydration
>sports drinks with 5-8% cho concentration are consumed to spare glycogen stores for later in exercise and also prevent dehydration
what fuels the body in sports under 60mins?
cho and fats are the most common fuel used by athletes
sports lasting up to 60 minutes can be fuelled from stored cho and fats
what should you consume in activities that are longer than 60 minutes?
cho consumption is important to avoid depletion
high GI foods assist in glycogen sparing
why should athletes ingest cho during events?
prevents low blood sugar levels
brain relies on a constant supply of glucose to avoid cns inhibition and the feeling of fatigue
>particularly important for team sports relying on decision making and concentration
> athletes make fewer skill/decision making errors when they refuel during a game
what should you consume after exercise?
takes at least 24 hours for glycogen replenishment after heavy endurance work
>1g/kg body mass of high GI cho within 30 mins of event
>7-10g/kg body mass of cho over the next 24 hours
>consume fluid which equates to 1.5kg weight loss
when are muscles most responsive to topping up glycogen stores?
immediately following exercise
- as a result increase muscle glycogen storage occurs due to the consumption of high GI foods
- the more depleted the stores of cho, the faster the rate of recovery
how do humans lose water?
breathing: as humidified air leaves the body
sweating: which is used as a cooling mechanism
urinating: removal of wastes
excluding exercise, how much water should you consume daily?
to ensure someone isn’t dehydrated people should drink a recommended amount of 2L fluid daily
How to tell if someone is dehydrated?
look at the colour of the urine
- urine of a well hydrated person is almost clear in colour and gets progressively darker as the level of dehydration increases
- darker the urine the more fluid required to return to desired hydration levels
What is hyper hydration pre-exercise?
- 1L prior to exercise
- 300-400mL just prior (prime stomach) on top of 600mL 3-4hr before (attempt in training first as may feel uncomfortable or bloated trying it)
- avoid drinks containing caffeine like energy drinks as they act as a diuretic and will cause you to go to the toilet thereby increasing fluid loss
what hydration considerations should be made during exercise?
- drink ~200mL of water every 15 minutes during activity
- the average sweat rate in endurance activities is 1-1.5L/hr
- dont just drink water when you’re thirsty because you’re usually already dehydrated
- avoid just drinking water as salt lost in sweat needs to be replaced (sports drinks are effective as they also contain 6-8% cho concentration)
what hydration considerations should be made post exercise?
- want to replensih back to pre-exercise weight
- for every 1L of fluid loss, consume 1.5L as you will urinate some of it out
- consume slightly salty fluid to keep osmolality higher so you dont urinate as much
- avoid alcohol and caffeine due to their diuretic effect
how does the environment we compete in significantly affects the way the body responds to physical activity?
temperature- hot/cold
humidity- wet/dry
altitude- sea level
how does core temperature change with heat gain and loss?
core temperature rises when heat gain exceeds heat loss, occurs particularly when exercising, particularly in hot, humid conditions
opposite occurs when heat loss exceeds heat production, as experienced in cold conditions
what are physiological changes that occur from playing in hot conditions?
- elevated heart rate/ decreased stroke volume/ decreased cardiac output
- rapid dehydration/increased sweating
- increased blood viscosity;/ decreased blood volume/increased blood pressure
- increased peripheral blood flow
- increased core body temp/ increased skin temp/ double heat load
- increased ventilation/increased breathing rate
- increase blood lactate
What are strategies to aid exercising in the heat?
- pre-event hydration: monitor fluid intake before event eg. hyperhydration, monitor urine colour
- hydration during the event: maintain fluid intake during the event eg. regular fluid replacement during training and competition to compensate for loss via sweating
- pre-cooling strategies: these lower core body temperature prior to exercise allowing for a greater increase before the critical threshold is reached eg. slushies
- cooling strategies during the event: lower core body temperature allowing to continue playing for longer eg. sitting in shade, wear ice vests
- clothing: wear minimal clothing that is thin, light coloured cotton- allows increased skin exposure for evaporative cooling to occur when the athlete sweats
- heat acclimatisation: involves a period of training (5-10days) in a hot environment to allow the body to prepare to perform in the heat with adaptations being early onset of sweating and greater rate of sweating
How can heat loss occur?
conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation
what is conduction?
heat exchanged by 2 objects in contact (eg. skin and ice vest/heat pack)
How is conduction used as a method of heat transfer?
it plays a very little role in the regulation of the body’s temperature
might be used when an athlete is immersed in cool water or wears an ice vest
what is convection?
heat exchanged by contact with a fluid (eg. air) that is flowing
how is convection a method of heat transfer?
layer of warm air which continually surrounds our body is continually displaced by cold air when temperature is lower than skin temperature
convection is most effective when temperature of the air or water surrounding the body is low
what is radiation?
radiation occurs when heat is transferred from a warmer body (eg.sun) to the cooler surroundings (eg. human body) without physical contact
how is radiation a method of heat transfer?
when exposed to sunshine, people absorb radiant heat energy when surroundings are hotter than their core temperature
Radiation accounts for 60% of heat loss from body at rest on a cool day
what is evaporation?
is the cooling of the body as a result of the vaporisation of sweat
How does the body avoid overheating through evaporation?
heat is transferred to the skin’s surface via the blood where it is released as sweat
>increased blood flow to the skin occurs as a result of vasodilation of blood vessels
evaporation of sweat on skin creates a cooling effect
>as a result the cooled skin cools the blood and hence maintains the body’s temperature
evaporation accounts for how much heat transfer?
25% heat loss at rest
80% in hot conditions
what happens to sweat if it is humid?
if 100% humidity, evaporation wont work as fluid can’t be evaporated off the skin if the air already has a high level of water in it
most effective in dry conditions
what does the rate of sweating depend on?
gender
number of sweat glands
body surface area (greater SA, more sweat)
How fit you are (fitter athletes sweat more)
what happens if there is an excessive amount of sweating?
leads to loss of body fluids and when level of fluid drops, body core temp increases
- it is gradual dehydration which leads to heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- sweat loss can reach 6-10% of body mass
- > 2% generally means performance and thermoregulation are compromised
what are factors that affect the method of heat loss?
environment
age
physiological state
how does the environment affect the method of heat transfer?
ambient temperature forced convection barriers to convection temperature radiating surfaces relative humidity
how does the ambient temperature affect the method of heat transfer?
if above the body’s core temperature, then evaporation is the only method of heat loss
other methods will result in heat gain
what is forced convection?
heat loss via convection will occur if it is windy
what are barriers to convection?
clothing will minimise the effect of convection as it will insulate the boundary layer of air
what are temperature radiating surfaces?
light clothing will not absorb as much heat as dark clothing
what is relative humidity?
if 100%, no heat loss via evaporation
how does age affect the method of heat transfer?
children dont sweat as much as their sweat glands are not as developed as adults
how does the physiological state affect the method of heat transfer?
rate of heat production (how much work the athlete is performing)
Hydration state- will determine rate of evaporation as a reduction in plasma volume leads to a decrease in sweat rate
how do different modes of exercise affect dehydration?
Running:
- sweat loss is higher
- ability to consume fluid is poort
- impossible to consume enough fluid to keep pace with sweat loss
Cycling:
- easier to balance intake/loss of fluids
- sweat rate lower
- moving faster so lose more heat by convection
- drink more easily
Swimming:
- convection results in majority of body heat being lost
-little sweat loss
how does heart rate and cardiac output change in the heat?
at rest it increases
this allows more blood to be sent to peripheries resulting in increased radiative heat loss to the environment, particularly from the hands, feet and forehead
what is double heat load?
when exercising in the heat the body is forced to deal with 2 forms of heat
- metabolic heat created by working muscles
- environmental heat in hot conditions
how does the double heat load create competition for blood flow?
- muscles and vital organs require blood flow to sustain energy metabolism
- skin blood flow required to transport heat out to environment to keep core temperature cool
- blood flow can’t deliver its oxygen to the working muscles, impacting performance
what is cardiovascular drift?
in an attempt to maintain cardiac output, HR increases
The increase in HR is relatively smaller than the decrese in SV, therefore cardiac output in reduced
as a result, skin blood flow decreases (cooling) and oxygen sent to the working muscles is also reduced, placing extra strain on the body to maintain exercise levels
what does a reduction in blood flow to the working muscles lead to?
an increase in the production of lactic acid
what does a reduction in blood flow to the skin do?
it reduces the rate of sweating, inhibiting the body’s ability to lose heat via evaporation
the changes lead to a rise in core temperture and negatively impacts performance
What is heat exhaustion?
dehydration + ineffective circulatory system
effects of dehydration with heat exhaustion:
dehydration as a result of exercising in the heat
- decrease plasma volume
- -> decrease stroke volume
- -> increased heart rate
- decrease blood plasma
- -> increased heart rate
- -> dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea
- —->must stop, drink fluid, lie down with feet up