Glucose the Exercise Fuel for Sustained Aerobic Exercise
When physical activity or exercise is of low or moderate intensity and muscles are in an aerobic state (plenty of oxygen available), most of the pyruvate produced during glycolysis is further metabolized to turn more energy and finally carbon dioxide and water.
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Almost 95% of the aerobically produced energy fuel, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), from the complete metabolism of glucose, it takes place in the mitochondria. Several health supplements such as minerals and some of the B vitamins are important key factors in the production of energy of both anaerobic and aerobic pathways.
Aerobic cellular respiration includes those areas of the metabolic pathway that are oxygen dependent. The aerobic pathway produces ATP more slowly than the anaerobic pathway. However, aerobically released energy production is a lot higher and can be sustained for hours making it an important energy contribution to physical activity and/or sports. Its contribution lasts more than 2 minutes and up to 4 or 5 hours.
The aerobic pathway uses carbohydrates and fatty acids as fuel so that it represents an enormous potential source of energy. For athletes, the aerobic system is the main provider of ATP in events lasting more than 3 minutes.
Glycogen is the ort term storage form of glucose in the liver and muscles about 100g and 300g respectively. Glycogen is the primary source of glucose for the production of ATP for muscles during intense activities that last about 2 hours or so. Glycogen is broken down into a form of glucose that becomes available to both aerobic and anaerobic pathways. Depletion of glycogen in the muscles contributes to muscle fatigue while depletion in the liver creates blood glucose fall.
When depletion of glycogen stores take place the maximum capacity that can be achieved by an athlete, while continue working, will be about 50% of maximum capacity and further exertion is hampered. When maximum volume of oxygen consumed per unit of time (VO2max) for longer than an hour consideration of increasing stored carbohydrates in the muscle is an appropriate decision.
Exercise durations longer than 30 minutes will require maintenance of blood glucose levels and therefore intake of carbohydrates in the order of 40 to 60 g/hour during strenuous endurance exercise. Maintaining blood sugar levels can spare glycogen in the muscles in search of the edge over the opponents in the finish line.
The intake of carbohydrates in short term events of 30 minutes exercise or so is not so important since the muscles during sort term exercise do not take up blood glucose due to the action of several hormones; Glycogen and epinephrine suppress the action of insulin to increase the uptake of glucose by the muscles. Carbohydrate intake during exercise is overall a very important source of energy fuel before and during prolonged, strenuous and continuous exercise and/or physical activity.
aerobic exercise, exercise, glucose
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