Energy systems - how we power our movement
Understanding the energy systems that your body uses to power itself is a really useful way of increasing the effectiveness of your training. On this page we explore the key concepts of how your body turns the air we breathe and the food we eat in to energy to propel you forwards.
Fundamentally our body uses the air we breathe and the food we eat to create energy.
From the food we eat our body processes carbohydrates, fats and proteins then stores these as more easily accessible molecules.
Fundamentally our body uses the air we breathe and the food we eat to create energy.
From the food we eat our body processes carbohydrates, fats and proteins then stores these as more easily accessible molecules.
During running our body predominantly utilises glycogen. This is derived from carbohydrates that are digested from many food types (not just pasta and energy gels).
Our bodies are also able to utilise and process energy using fats and protein. We'll cover that later.
It's worth noting that we utilise these energy stores during rest and recovery to allow the restoration and growth of muscle.
Carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells. When needed this glycogen is released as glucose and used to create a molecule called Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Our bodies are also able to utilise and process energy using fats and protein. We'll cover that later.
It's worth noting that we utilise these energy stores during rest and recovery to allow the restoration and growth of muscle.
Carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells. When needed this glycogen is released as glucose and used to create a molecule called Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
ATP - the energy currency of the human body
The body uses ATP to store and release energy for muscle contraction which propels us forward.
ATP is stored in small amounts in our muscles (enough to allow us to move very quickly for about 8 - 10 seconds). Obviously this is no where near enough if you're looking at anything more that an olympic 100m sprint.
So where do we get more from?
This is where our stored energy sources come in. Our bodies will then use glycogen through cellular respiration to convert to glucose then processed into more ATP molecules to further produce muscle contractions.
There are two main types of cellular respiration that produce ATP from glucose.
The body uses ATP to store and release energy for muscle contraction which propels us forward.
ATP is stored in small amounts in our muscles (enough to allow us to move very quickly for about 8 - 10 seconds). Obviously this is no where near enough if you're looking at anything more that an olympic 100m sprint.
So where do we get more from?
This is where our stored energy sources come in. Our bodies will then use glycogen through cellular respiration to convert to glucose then processed into more ATP molecules to further produce muscle contractions.
There are two main types of cellular respiration that produce ATP from glucose.
Aerobic cellular respiration is the system mostly used when completing low and moderate intensity endurance sport including running. This system is able to draw upon glucose stores for roughly 90 mins. After this the body will look to find alternative energy sources, either through glucose supplementation in gels and food stuffs or through fat stores and finally protein.
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen to convert glucose in to ATP. When we ask more of our bodies and push harder we will get to the point where we can't get quick enough access to oxygen to allow aerobic respitaration to take place so our body automatically start recruiting anaerobic cellular respiration. This system does not require oxygen and can produce energy more rapidly but it does have side effects.
Prolonged anaerobic respiration leads to the accumulation of lactate. This after a while can cause that burning sensation in your muscles so you can't sustain anaerobic respiration for very long before fatigue sets in and forces you to slow down.
Lactate is often seen as the enemy, however it's actually used as a secondary energy source when oxygen becomes available as we slow down. So when people talk about massage getting rid of lactate you now know that this is not necessary and actually at rest lactate will just be naturally absorbed and used for energy.
Aerobic vs Anaerobic - Aerobic respiration offers an incredible amount of energy. When we compare it against anaerobic respiration we see that aerobic produces 38 molecules of ATP where as anaerobic produces 2 ATP molecules.
The by-products from aerobic respiration is water and carbon dioxide. This production of carbon dioxide is actually what increases our breathing when exercising. Our bodies need to expel the carbon dioxide so we 'blow it off' by breathing harder. Most people think that we breathe harder to get more oxygen in where in fact it's to get more carbon dioxide out.
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen to convert glucose in to ATP. When we ask more of our bodies and push harder we will get to the point where we can't get quick enough access to oxygen to allow aerobic respitaration to take place so our body automatically start recruiting anaerobic cellular respiration. This system does not require oxygen and can produce energy more rapidly but it does have side effects.
Prolonged anaerobic respiration leads to the accumulation of lactate. This after a while can cause that burning sensation in your muscles so you can't sustain anaerobic respiration for very long before fatigue sets in and forces you to slow down.
Lactate is often seen as the enemy, however it's actually used as a secondary energy source when oxygen becomes available as we slow down. So when people talk about massage getting rid of lactate you now know that this is not necessary and actually at rest lactate will just be naturally absorbed and used for energy.
Aerobic vs Anaerobic - Aerobic respiration offers an incredible amount of energy. When we compare it against anaerobic respiration we see that aerobic produces 38 molecules of ATP where as anaerobic produces 2 ATP molecules.
The by-products from aerobic respiration is water and carbon dioxide. This production of carbon dioxide is actually what increases our breathing when exercising. Our bodies need to expel the carbon dioxide so we 'blow it off' by breathing harder. Most people think that we breathe harder to get more oxygen in where in fact it's to get more carbon dioxide out.