Energy Systems - Lesson 9

• LessonUp
• Primary Education
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)

Energy systems

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What are you going to learn?

In this lesson you will:

• To have an understanding of the 3 different energy systems.
  
• To be able to link the energy systems to different exercises.

Check your heart rate while you are sat down and relaxed. 

And now do some exercise for 5 minutes then check your pulse again.

Is there a difference?

Maximum heart rate can be worked out by the following equation: Maximum HR = 220 - age

Research the 'normal' heart rate for your age group. Are you within the range?

Does your resting heart rate meet the criteria for your age?

What happens to our heart and body when we exercise?

Energy systems

The energy we use each day comes from the food we eat! But what’s less well known is what happens after we’ve eaten our meal to transform that food into something that the individual cells, in our body, can use.

After we consume our meals, the solids and liquids in the foods are digested and broken down into macronutrients, the building blocks of nutrition carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

These are processed even further by the body into the simple compounds that store the energy to be used.

Those broken-down compounds your body got from the foods you ate are formed into molecules of ATP inside your cells.

Think of the ATP molecules as your fuel.

The body does store a minimal amount of ATP within the muscles, but the majority is produced from the foods we eat, which is why a healthy, well-balanced diet is so important!!

During physical activity, three different processes work together to split ATP molecules, which release energy for muscles to use in contraction, force production, and ultimately sporting or fitness performance.

These energy systems, as they are more commonly known, act as pathways to produce energy, and the intensity and duration of our physical activity determine which pathway acts as the principal fuel source.

As soon as you start exercising, the small amount of ATP stored in our body’s gets used up and needs to be replenished to continue with the exercise, which is where the body’s three different systems come into play, ensuring a constant supply of energy.

What are the three energy systems?

The most immediate energy system available to your body is the Phosphagen system, also known as the ATP-PC system. This energy system is the one the body uses to generate instant energy and can be delivered at a high rate.

The energy source, phosphocreatine (PC), is stored within the tissues of the body and doesn’t require oxygen, making it an anaerobic system which works fast. But, because your cells do not store a lot of phosphocreatine, the total energy it can produce is limited, and as a result, maxes out after around 10 seconds of all-out exertion.

If you are exercising in repeated, brief, maximal, high-intensity bursts (i.e., weightlifting, short sprints, or throwing a ball), it remains the dominant energy system for the duration of your workout, but only if you allow for sufficient rest between bouts to allow for the stores to be replenished.

ATP - PC system

The Glycolytic system, better known as the anaerobic lactic energy system, can produce ATP quite rapidly for use during activities which require bigger bursts of energy, from around 10-90 seconds max.

The glycolytic system uses carbohydrates in the form of blood glucose and stored glycogen to produce ATP. Like the phosphagen system, it starts out producing energy anaerobically, but as you approach the two-to-three-minute mark, oxygen becomes an increasingly important and eventually necessary part of the process, which is where the next system then kicks in.

Anerobic Lactic Acid system

The third and final energy system that comes into play is the Oxidative system, commonly known as the aerobic energy system. This pathway requires oxygen to produce ATP, because carbohydrates and fats are only burned in the presence of oxygen. While it is not the main source of ATP at the start of exercise, it can produce a lot of it, making this system the preferred one for long-duration, relatively low-intensity cardiovascular activities.

This aerobic energy system must have oxygen to work, or the entire process will slow down and potentially stop completely.

In this energy system, although you may be burning mostly fat, a steady supply of carbohydrates is still necessary for the breakdown of fat into an energy source. The ratio of how much fat vs. carbohydrates are being used depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise, along with the individual’s aerobic training experience.

For example, shorter and more intense workouts tend to burn more carbohydrates for fuel, while longer, less intense workouts will burn a higher ratio of fats. The more an individual is trained aerobically, the more their body will be able to utilize fats for fuel at a given intensity.

Aerobic System 

ATP system

Lactic Acid System

Aerobic System

Exercise over a prolonged period of time. 

Shorter, more intense bursts of energy.

Immediate energy use but very limited.

Walking

Running

HITT

100m Sprint

Weightlifting

Long jump

If I was going to go on a long walk, maybe walk up a big mountain, what energy system would i use?

I’m about to do a heavy deadlift, what energy system will I use whilst performing the deadlift?

What energy system would I use if i’m going to do javelin?

In small groups, you need to research the three main energy groups. With all the information gathered, you will be tasked with presenting your information back to the class.

 

You must include;

- The basic workings of each energy system

-  Physical activities associated with each energy system

- Pictures

- A diagram of the energy system

Task 6.1 / 6.2

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