Module 1: General Nutrition Principles and Bioenergetics/Energy Systems During Exercise Flashcards
Why is energy important?
- The body needs a constant supply of energy to move and perform everyday tasks
- The more activity a person does, the more energy that is required
What two things impact how energy is provided?
Energy and intensity play an important role in the way energy (in the form of ATP) is provided. E.g. sitting versus running you are using different energy systems
What is ATP?
- Adenosine Triphosphate is the usable form of energy in the body
- The energy from foods that we eat has to ultimately be converted into ATP before the potential energy can be used
- An ATP molecule consists of adenosine and 3 phosphates
What occurs when ATP is broken down?
- Energy is released from ATP by breaking down the bonds that hold this compound together
- Enzymes are used to breakdown ATP
- ATPase is the enzyme used to break down ATP into ADP and a single phosphate
- This type of reaction is exothermic - generates energy
What is ATP Re-synthesis and where is ATP stored?
- Small amounts of ATP are stored with muscle fibres
- Stored ATP is used up very quickly (2-3 seconds) and therefore needs to be replenished immediately for movement to continue
- For ATP to be rebuilt an endothermic reaction has to occur. This is a chemical reaction which absorbs energy
- Re-synthesis of ATP is done through joining of ADP and single phosphate. This energy regeneration is only possible through one of three energy systems
- Nutrition provides the foundation for the sunstrates that generate energy in the body
What are the 3 energy systems that regenerate ATP?
- ATP-PC System - Also called Phosphagen System
- Glycolytic System - Also called Anaerobic Glycolysis
- Aerobic System
- The systems are not exclusive of each other
- All the systems are active and ready to engage at all times
- Dependent on intensity/type of activity
- Can train energy systems
What is the energy continuum of physical activity?
- The point at which an athlete moves from one energy system to another is known as a threshold. This depends on the exercise intensity and fuel available
When will the aerobic system be utilized?
- Activity that is performed at a low to moderate intensity over a sustained or prolonged period of time is supported by the Aerobic System
- ## The intensity of activity is moderate enough and performed over enough time to allow the more complex Aerobic System to generate sufficient ATP
Explain the ATP-PC System
- The body has very small, finite stores of ATP in muscle. There so we can move quickly
- Depleted ATP stores trigger the release of the enzyme, creatine kinase, which causes phosphocreatine (PC) that is stored in skeletal muscle to be broken down anaerobically
→PC is also known as Creatine Phosphate (CP)
→ PC acts as a substrate for the formation of ATP
What is PC produced by?
PC is produced by the body in the liver and kidneys from dietary creatine sourcess (meat, fish, poultry) and dietary souces of arginine, glycine, and methionine
How long does stored ATP last?
Stored ATP can provide the energy to support powerful muscle contractions but only 2-3 seconds
Explain the pathway of Cr in the body
(ATP-PC System)
- Non-phosphorylated creatine (Cr) is released from the liver into the blood stream and transported to muscle cells
- Once inside muscle cells, it is transformed into phosphocreatine by the enzyme complex creatine kinase
- PCr can anaerobically donate a phosphate group to ADP in muscle to form ATP and generate the energy needed to support movement
- System has received a lot of interest in terms of supplementation (i.e. Creatine)
When is ATP-PC System used
This rapid availability of PC is important for providing contractions of high power, such as in the 100m run OR a short burst of intense activity during a longer game. E.g. A fast break in basketball
Can PC be replenished?
- There is only enough PC to last for up to 10 seconds and it can only be replenished when the intensity of the activity is sub-maximal
What is the ATP-PC/Glycolytic Threshold?
- The point at which the ATP-PC energy system is exhausted and the glycolytic system takes over
- E.g. A soccer midfielder needs to make an abrupt, 3 second sprint to get free or beyond a defender (ATP-PC System) who, after passing the ball, has to run back to help defeng (Glycolytic System)
- These switches are noticeable for people
What are the advantages and disadvantaages of the ATP-PC System?
What are the claims about phosphocreatine?
“Improves muscle performance, promotes strength, recovery, and performance”
- Statements not evaluated by FDA
- Thought if you max out creatine in nutrition you will have more to rely on
- Research skewed towards young males
- Children/youth susceptible to claims like these. See others doing it and want to do it as well but not good evidence base for kids
How does PCr impact sport performance?
- Maximal body stores of creatine have been linked to enhanced exercise capacity
- Diet alone provides about 1-2g/day of creatine resulting in muscle creatine stores at 60-80% maximal saturation.
→ Supplementation to max out that extra 20% - A large body of evidence now indicates that creatine supplementation can produce full saturation of creatine stores which, in turn has been linked to increase acute exercise capacity
- Helps with short term, high intensity. E.g. lifting more because don’t tire as easility. Sprints, lifting
- Dependent on athlete
What is the theoretical basis behind creatine supplementation?
- Physiology: PCr stores limit maximal ATP production and performance during high intensity, short time activity (e.g. sprinting)
- Theory: Supplementation with PCr will increase cellular PCr levels and enhance exercise performance
What do we know based on the research of creatine supplementation?
- Hundreds of studies and review of PCr supplementation have been published
- The consensus finding is that creatine supplementation can increase muscle creatine content, improve exerise capacity, and sport performance
- Creatine monohydrate most studied
Other than sport performance, what can creatine supplementation help with?
- Creatine supplementation may also offer clinical therapeutic health benefits to individuals suffering from:
- Creatine deficiency syndromes
- Myocardial ischemia (Heart attack) and/or stroke
- Neurodegenerative diseases
What are the ergogenic effects of creatine supplementation?
- Increases in performance and strength in short-duration, maximal-intensity exercises. E.g. I-repetition maximum, muscular power, number of repetitions, muscular endurance, speed, and total force
- Increases in lean body mass (through recovery and repetition)
- May prevent loss of strength as a result of aerobic activity when combined with anaerobic activities in recreational activity
What individuals are less likely to derive benefit from creatine supplementation?
(Why are some people responders vs non-responders?)
- Individuals with higher baseline level of creatine before supplementing compared to those with low baseline levels
- Explains why some athletes appear to be responders to supplementation versus nonresponders
- Can be a game changer for people with low creatine
What is the creatine supplementation protocol?
- Helps to eat within physical activity to bring all nutrition stores up
- Better to take it after because you are setting yourself up for the next workout (replenish)
- Same ratio for males as well
What are the potential side effects of creatine supplementation?
- Muscle cramps
- Over-use injuries (recover faster so inclined to train more)
- Impaired hydration status and fluid retention
- Doping violations - off label additions of WADA banned substances may be within supplements
- Decreased focus on healthy eating and other critical aspects of HIIT performance
- Long term data not well known
- Consistency in training is key - regardless of supplementation
Explain the glycolytic system
- Once PC is depleted (at around 10 seconds) the Glycolytic system takes over and regenerates ATP from the breakdown of glucose
- The glycolytic system is also known as anareobic glycolysis
- Produces pyruvic acid which can form lactic acid
- The process of glucose breakdown in the absence of oxygen is called anaerobic glycolysis and causes the production of pyruvic acid
- The longer exercise continues the higher the rise in lactic acid and lower pH levels. Slowly inhibits enzyme activity causing fatigue and eventually Onset of Blood Lactate accumulation (OBLA)
- More lactic acid produced when high intensity and long duration. This inhibits glycolysis and causes fatigue (self-protective)
Why is the Cori Cycle necessary?
- During intense activity (approaching the Lactate or Anaerobic threshold), actate accumulates in working muscles. At the same time, the body cannot produce ATP quickly enough to meet its needs
- The body adopts an alternate metabolic route to get rid of the lactate, and keep producing energy anaerobically. This process is called the Cori Cycle
What is the Cori Cycle?
- A process for transporting lactate from cells that are undergoing anaerobic metabolism to the liver where it is used to provide glucose back to the cells
- The end product is glucose
- Lactate produced by the muscles is converted to glucose by the liver and ged back to working muscles to serve as a substrate for ATP synthesis
The ________ intensity of activity, the _________ relative accumulation of lactate
Higher; greater
What is OBLA?
- Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation
- The exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate begins to increase rapidly