Fatigue And The Recovery Process

Question 1

What is ATP?

Answer 1

A chemical compound which provides chemical potential energy. It’s the only type of energy the body can use

Question 2

What is PC?

Answer 2

An important energy store in skeletal muscle, used to produce energy rapidly

Question 3

What energy source is second in line, when PC stores have been depleted?

Answer 3

Glycogen

Question 4

How is lactic acid formed and used?

Answer 4

The muscle cells convert glucose or glycogen into lactic acid, which is then absorbed and converted to fuel by the mitochondria in muscle cells

Question 5

What is central governor theory?

Answer 5

The idea that fatigue is an emotional response that begins in the brain, not a physiological one beginning in the muscles. It’s stated that the brain paces the muscles to be on the brink of exhaustion, and when the brain decides it’s time to quit, it sends distressing signals to the muscles

Question 6

What’s the accepted theory on how muscle fibres are recruited?

Answer 6

That the body never uses all the available muscle fibres, spreading the load by resting some fibres and recruiting others which have been rested.

Question 7

Give some evidence for the central governor theory

Answer 7

Glycogen levels in the muscles decrease with exercise, yet never quite reach zero, giving reason to idea that it is the brain that stops the muscles when they are near depletion

Question 8

What happens to the body as it dehydrates?

Answer 8

The volume of plasma in the blood decreases, as does the stores of salts and calcium. This causes cramps and a fall in muscle efficiency

Question 9

What is the effect of losing salts and blood plasma?

Answer 9

Decrease in blood pressure
Decreased tissue fluid formation
Increased thirst 
Increased heart rate 
Retention of body heat
Declining performance

Question 10

Give factors that increase body heat

Answer 10

Metabolic processes
Exercise
Shivering
Sympathetic nervous system stimulation

Question 11

Give factors causing heat loss

Answer 11

Radiation
Conduction
Convection
Evaporation

Question 12

Describe the fast component of recovery

Answer 12

This involves the restoration of muscle phosphagen stores, taking up to 4 minutes. They’re restored as oxygen resynthesises the ATP and PC store, through the aerobic system

Question 13

Describe the slow component of the recovery process

Answer 13

This involves everything else getting the body back to a pre exercise state, involving rehydration, removal of waste and energy replenishment.

Question 14

What’s the purpose of keeping the heart rate elevated post exercise?

Answer 14

It keeps metabolic activity high, and the capillaries dilated, meaning oxygen can be flushed through the muscle tissue, removing any lactic acid, stopping blood pooling.

Question 15

What is the influence of increased oxygen intake post exercise?

Answer 15

It repays the fast component of recovery, and can be used to remove lactic acid, for tissue repair.

Question 16

How much lactic acid is typically removed within an hour?

Answer 16

76%

Question 17

What is the post exercise “window of opportunity”?

Answer 17

A period of time after exercise whereby the foods ingested will go straight to replenishing PC and glycogen

Question 18

What is EPOC?

Answer 18

A measurable increase rate of oxygen intake following activity

Question 19

Why do DOMS occur?

Answer 19

Due to tissue injury caused by excessive mechanical forces. They’re the result of eccentric work, and the breakdown of muscle proteins causes an inflammatory response

Question 20

How can muscle soreness be minimised?

Answer 20

By building training intensity gradually

Cross training

Question 21

Describe the process of carbo-loading

Answer 21

A method of boosting the amount of glycogen in the body before a competition or event. This is done by in the days or weeks building up to exercise, not refuelling properly after exercise so that the body holds onto additional glycogen, and fuelling up heavily once the body can hold more.

Question 22

List the benefits of compression clothing

Answer 22

Better muscle alignment and structure, which:
Reduces muscle damage
Improved circulation and increases awareness of muscle operation, leading to:
Increases in anaerobic threshold, power and endurance

Question 23

What is fatigue?

Answer 23

A reduced capacity to complete work, in context of exercise it’s brought about by a lack of energy, oxygen. Skeletal muscle tiredness and leaking of calcium ions also cause it.