By Marco Macalintal & Sydelle Sim Whether we walk, run, sleep, or do anything, as long as we are alive, we need energy. Within the context of physical health, it is very important that we know how energy works. The process of creating energy is long and… complicated to say the least. However, do not fret about how understanding all this will be hard because instead of using your energy on searching about it, read this blog instead! What is energy? All energy comes from the sun in the form of light energy. Plants get light energy from the sun and perform photosynthesis to turn it into stored energy. Humans (and animals) get their energy from eating plants and animals that eat plants. Food provides nutrients like carbohydrates, fat and protein; these can be broken down to release the stored energy. Energy that is not used in metabolism, physical activity or growth will become stored body fat. ATPWe cannot talk about energy within the human body without talking about Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). The food that we eat cannot be used directly for energy, instead it is turned into ATP by the body. It is basically fuel for the different cellular processes. Storage molecules are converted into ATP when the cells need energy. Like a train, ATP transports energy to different parts within the cell that are performing physical movement. Energy Systems Thus, in order to maintain energy throughout exercising, the body has different ways of creating ATP called Energy Systems. There are three of them, namely: ATP-CP or Phosphagen System, Glycolysis, and the Oxidative or Aerobic Energy Systems.
![]() Julian Finney/Getty Images ATP and Creatine Phosphate (CP) are both phosphagens, one of what are called energy substrates that provide the starting resources in order to have reactions that make energy for the body. The phosphagen system is used for high-intensity activity and lasts for 10 to 30 seconds because there isn’t much ATP that the body stores. It does this by the hydrolysis of ATP as well as the breakdown of CP. Thus, activities like weightlifting and sprinting use this energy system. However, physical activities that pass the thirty second mark would require glycolysis instead.
![]() Getty Images The glycolytic system uses carbohydrates as its energy substrate as it breaks down into pyruvate in order to make ATP and is used for physical activities that last 30 seconds to three minutes. This system is not as fast as the Phosphagen system, but has more capacity because there are more carbohydrates stored in the body than phosphagen. An example of an activity that uses Glycolysis is boxing rounds, which last one to three minutes. Further than three minutes, the body would use a different energy system called the oxidative or aerobic system.
![]() Chris McGrath/Getty Images The Oxidative system uses carbohydrates and fats as its energy substrates, and uses oxygen in its energy production. It is used for lower intensity activities and has a much slower rate of ATP production, but can be used for long durations. Distance running is an example of an activity that the oxidative system is used for because of its longer nature. It is important to note that these systems are not independent of each other, but rather work together and overlap. Every system has its time to shine in energy production depending on the duration and intensity of the activity, whether it be quickly biking up a slope or slowly down an even road. We all use these energy systems, and the food that we eat supply these systems in order to keep us moving. Conclusion: Energy is a very vital part of our lives, embedded in our biology. It does this by digesting our food and turning it into ATP. For our body to produce energy for our everyday life as well as in more intense physical activities, our body has different energy systems set in place. All three of these energy systems are important in order to keep us moving through thick and thin. There’s so much going on within our bodies just to keep us alive, thus we must be able to take care of it as much as we can. Sources:
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, March 12). adenosine triphosphate. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/adenosine-triphosphate Department of Health | Nutrition Energy. (2013). Health.gov.au. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/canteen-mgr-tr1~nutrition-energy#:~:text=Energy%20is%20delivered%20to%20the%20body%20through%20foods.&text=The%20nutrients%20that%20provide%20energy,energy%20per%20gram%20of%20food. Zahradnik, D. (2012). Securing energy for sports performance [E-book]. In P. Korvas (Ed.), The Introduction to Sports Training (1st ed.). Masaryk University. Magida, D., & Rodriguez, M. (2017). The essentials of obstacle race training. Human Kinetics. Gagliardi, C. (2019, March 7). The three primary energy pathways explained. Energy Pathways | 3 Primary Energy Pathways in the Body | ACE Blog. https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/ace-answers/exam-preparation-blog/3256/the-three-primary-energy-pathways-explained/ Comments are closed.
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