Ever wondered why some sports leave you gasping for air while others feel like a slow burn? Whether it is the fast and furious sprint in a 100-meter race, or the long marathon run, what makes a sport physically demanding boils down to how your body produces energy. Your body responds in different manners to different types of exercises. Let us dive deep into the science behind it.
The human body relies on different “energy systems” based on the type of exercise it is subjected to. These systems are nothing but the ways in which body produces fuel so that the exercise or movement can be continued. There are three energy systems: ATP-PC System: This is the fastest way that your body can provide energy to working muscles while you do any movement or exercise. This system becomes active the immediately as you start moving. However, the stores are limited, and it can only last for up to 8-10 seconds. Hence, you need other source to draw energy for continuing the workout. This is when a more sustainable and efficient mechanism comes into play, that is anaerobic glycolysis (glycolysis: breakdown of glucose). This system quickly generates energy after breaking down glucose available in the body. This glucose comes from the food that you eat. Anaerobic glycolysis can help fuel your exercise for approximately 1 minute. The most efficient way to fuel your exercise is your aerobic energy system, which utilizes glucose obtained from various sources, including carbohydrate and fat storages to produce energy required to continue prolonged exercise.
Even though we say that one of the three systems has a certain time span for its contribution to last; these systems often are active simultaneously. Only the utilization of either of the systems for energy supply is governed by the type of exercise one is performing. If you are taking part in a short sprint of 60 or 100 meters, the major contributor of energy will be the ATP system; whereas in sports that require continuous long-term event, like a marathon, will be predominantly fuelled by the aerobic system.
The knowledge of how energy is supplied when you perform different types of exercises is essential for the purpose of training specificity. If you want to participate in a 90-minute football game, and only train your quick energy systems, it might lead to decreased performance in later stages of the game, due to poor conditioning of the aerobic system. Thus, it is imperative for athletes to train their energy systems as per the requirements of their game, in order to give themselves the best chance to perform at their best.
We will discuss about the training methods to target your energy systems in our future blogs.
Author –
Rajatmani Tripathi
Exercise Physiologist
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