Energy Movement

Bioenergetics
Energy Forms              Biologic Processes
    Mechanical                  Skeletal muscle contraction
                                       Heart muscle contraction

    Chemical                     Muscle contraction
                                       Metabolism
                                       Digestion

    Electrical                     Nervous conduction
                                       Thinking

    Thermal                      Maintenance of body temperature

    Solar                           Vitamin D production



Energy Nutrient Building Blocks
    Fats
       Glycerols
       Fatty acids
       Glycerides


    Proteins
       Polypeptides
      
    Carbohydrates
       Starch
       Cellulose
       Variety of simple and complex sugars


Metabolism--all of the chemical reactions that take place in the body.

    Catabolism--the process of breaking down the large energy nutrient molecules to their smaller constituent building blocks.  This is an energy releasing process.

    Anabolism--the process whereby smaller constitutent molecules are built into larger molecules.  This is an energy consumption process.

Catabolism and anabolism combine to produce the high-energy compound Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Once created, ATP can be stored or immediately used to provide the free energy needed to carry out all bodily processes, including muscle contraction.

Both anerobic and anaerobic systems are used to create ATP.

Why is this of any importance?

Anaerobic pathways have the power to create ATP rapidly but do not have great capacity.  Therefore, anaerobic work has to be short term.

Aerobic pathways have the capacity to produce ATP over time but do not have the power to produce ATP rapidly.  Therefore, aerobic work can be long term but will not produce powerful movements.

Lactic Acid--the end product of glycolysis which is the breakdown of glucose to produce ATP.  Lactic acid is just that, an acid, and as a by-product of metabolism, it builds up in the muscle and spills into the circulating blood.  This acid build up changes the pH of the cell and begins to retard muscle contraction.  In short, lactic acid is a fatiguing substance.  That's the bad news.

The good news is that lactic acid is a recyclable waste product.  It is use to create more ATP in the immediate area where it is produced and it will be used by other parts of the body to produce energy for basic functions as it is reclaimed from the blood stream.