TRAINING PRESCRIPTION FOR ANAEROBIC ADAPTATION practise questions

Question 1

You investigate the effect of sprint training intervention on phosphofructokinase activity (PFK). Explain the effects of training on PFK enzyme activity, and how changes to PFK enzyme activity will affect metabolism and sprint performance.

Answer 1

PFK activity increases

Allows greater glycolytic flux and therefore ATP re-synthesis from muscle glycogen

Higher power outputs are sustained for a longer period of time

Question 2

Between 10 and 20 s of a maximal sprint, why does the anaerobic contribution to ATP production fall by 50% yet power output only falls by 30%

Answer 2

The decline in anaerobic ATP re-synthesis is due to reduced reliance on PCr and anaerobic glycolysis

To compensate, VO2 and Oxidative phosphorylation increases

Increased ATP re-synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation (aerobic pathways) offers a partial compensation for the decline in anaerobic ATP re synthesis

Question 3

With reference to PCr, why should sprinters avoid training their 100m sprint using short (< 5 min) recovery periods?

Answer 3

The 10 s will drop PCr content by >50-75%

To reach 100% sprint capacity, this will take longer than 5 min to fully re-synthesise

Complete PCr recovery could take 13 min or more