Lactic Acid had a pretty nasty reputation up until recently. It was thought to cause muscle fatigue and muscle cramps in not only ultra marathon runners and marathon runners, but in any sport. I had recently completed my first marathon and was worried about the lactic acid buildup more than anything. Around the sixteenth mile of the Atlantic City Marathon I felt the tiredness creeping up from my toes into my hips. Right away, I thought about lactic acid. Before doing the research for this paper, anything I knew about lactic acid was told to me by my high school cross country coach and my brother, who runs cross country and track for Lock Haven College. When my legs would get tired during training, I was told to lay on the floor with my legs up against the wall so the lactic acid would drain out of them. Who knew that everything I was told was a lie?! I know a lot of coaches that still believe that lactic acid is bad and refuse to give up on that fact, but without doing the research, they will never know the truth.
When running long distances, the body uses two systems for energy: the aerobic and the anaerobic energy systems. The aerobic energy system uses oxygen in the process, while the anaerobic energy system does not use oxygen. According to the American Running Association, “ATP is a high-energy molecule and the main source of energy for muscle contractions. When we exercise aerobically, ATP is derived from the oxygen that we breathe in. Glucose and glycogen is nevertheless also required to convert this oxygen into energy. When the amount of ATP needed cannot be derived quickly enough with traditional oxygen intake and conversion to energy, the body then relies on the anaerobic energy system, which created as a byproduct, la...
... middle of paper ...
...ned by the heart and the blood vessels. So if you carry on training a guy, you will not improve his aerobic capacity, but his performance will still improve because the lactate acid threshold is not limited by the cardiovascular system---it’s determined by the quality of the muscles. “ This means that the more a runner’s muscles are adapted to this kind of running, the better they will be during a long run or ultra marathon (Cox).
When I think about these men that have run ultra marathon after ultra marathon, it kind of inspires me to do one someday. After I think about it for a little bit though, I go back and remember what it felt like running 26.2 miles. I could never imagine what my legs and feet would feel like after running even 27 miles, let alone 50 or more. People like this are so inspirational and what ever they put their mind to, they can accomplish it.
The data collected during this experiment has shown that a relationship likely exists between the rate of muscle fatigue and the time spent performing vigorous exercise prior to the set of repetitive movements. This is likely due to a build-up of lactic acid and lactate as a result of anaerobic respiration occurring to provide energy for the muscle cell’s movement. As the pH of the cell would have been lowered, the enzymes necessary in the reactions would likely not be working in their optimum pH range, slowing the respiration reactions and providing an explanation to why the average number of repetitions decreased as the prior amount of exercise increased.
It has long been established that both short and long-term exercise increase metabolic rate and heat production. This naturally predisposes participants to dehydration. Typical symptoms of dehydration include elevated temperature, fluid and electrolyte imbalance due to sweating, and loss of critical nutrients, such as glycogen (depleted via metabolic pathways). Many individuals participating in moderate to rigorous training schedules may engage in daily exercise, if not multiple exercise routines in one day (3,4,5,6). It then follows that the goal for these individuals should be avoidance of dehydration and maximization of rehydration through maintenance of electrolyte balance, replenishment of muscle glycogen, and plasma osmolality. Thus, examination of a fluid’s efficacy in these three areas is crucial. Through extensive research, it is evident that Gatorade will rehydrate faster and more effectively than water.
Glucose consumption in the tissues and glucose production are balanced when the body is at rest. At the start of exercising the energy the body gets quickly is from the anaerobic metabolism using mostly muscle glycogen...
The higher a person’s VO2max, the longer they can sustain endurance events at higher training intensities. Conclusively, the experiment proved that the trained participant had a higher VO2max (higher oxygen consumption) and was indeed more fit than that of the untrained participant.
Four days after winning the Seagate 100 km Ultramarathon in Toledo, Ohio, I was hospitalized for 11 days with Acute Kidney Failure, a direct consequence of the race, possibly exacerbated by the 2400 mg of ibuprofen that I took during the race. In this article, I will describe my race and my hospitalization, discuss similar experiences of two runners after the 1994 Western States (WS) 100 Mile Endurance Run, and tell what I have learned that might be of general interest.
Do you know how you are able to run long distances or lift heavy things? One of the reasons is cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is how your body breaks down the food you’ve eaten into adenosine triphosphate also known as ATP. ATP is the bodies energy its in every cell in the human body. We don’t always need cellular respiration so it is sometimes anaerobic. For example, when we are sleeping or just watching television. When you are doing activities that are intense like lifting weights or running, your cellular respiration becomes aerobic which means you are also using more ATP. Cellular respiration is important in modern science because if we did not know about it, we wouldn’t know how we are able to make ATP when we are doing simple task like that are aerobic or anaerobic.
For example, a 100m sprinter would be looking to make gains anaerobically. In order to do this they need to work above their anaerobic threshold. This threshold might be at 80% of their maximum heart rate; therefore anywhere above this intensity anaerobic gains would be made. How far past their threshold the athlete trains, is proportional to the gains in anaerobic fitness that will be made for the 100m sprinter.
For purpose of emphasis and understanding, some background information is needed to fully understand exactly what blood doping can do for an individual. In order for muscles to perform, they need a ready supply of oxygen. During high intensity exercise, oxygen is depleted and the body can not get enough oxygen to the muscle in order for them to perform their optimal potential. This lack of ability to get oxygen to the muscle is called oxygen debt and results in lactic acid being formed. Lactic acid is a waste product of anaerobic cellular respiration within the muscle tissue, which can cause muscle sourness that, usually, is felt after a hard or long workout. Fatigue usually sets in with the onset of lactic acid production. Oxygen is carried to the muscle by two delivery systems. Three percent of oxygen is carried in plasma and ninety-seven percent is in hemoglobin, the principal protein in erythrocytes (red blood cells). If hemoglobin amounts are increased, this will lead to increased oxygen levels that can be transported to the muscles. Allowing the muscles to become more fatigue resistant.
The extra heat produced during metabolic exchange, raises the body temperature again affecting the enzymes and heat is then removed by sweating. If the body isn’t kept hydrated during exercise, dehydration will occur, causing the blood to become concentrated. When the blood becomes concentrated, the cells no longer have enough water to function.
Lehmann, Manfred, Carl Foster, and Joseph Keul. "Overtraining in endurance athletes: a brief review." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (1993).
The Queens College/McArdle Step Test, the Rockport One Mile Walk Test, and the 1.5 Mile Run Test are three different field tests that were performed in this lab that were used to measure and predict an individual’s aerobic capacity. The measurement of aerobic capacity, or VO2 max, is a valid way to assess an individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness level. VO2 max refers to the maximal amount of oxygen an individual utilizes during intensive exercise. A higher VO2 max demonstrates a more efficient cardiorespiratory system as an individual with a higher VO2 max can sustain a higher intensity for a longer
There are three main energy systems used in a game of touch football which consist of the creatine phosphate (ATP PC) system, lactic acid system and the aerobic system. Each system plays a vital role during game play. Every muscle in your body requires energy to perform all movements, and to do this, the energy is produced by the breakdown of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is found in all cells which is a chemical form of muscular activity and performs mostly all functions in the human body. It contains 3 phosphate groups and adenosine. ATP is stored in the muscles and lasts for approximately 10-30 seconds. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins, are all producers of ATP from the food we eat; however Creatine Phosphate is also a high energy compound producer found in the cells. These three chemical reactions are conducted to continue muscular work. The first system used in a game of touch football is the ATP PC system. This system is stored into the muscles and used in short durations for up to 10 seconds and doesn’t not require oxygen therefore being anaerobic. ATP lasts approximately 3 seconds, and then Creatine phosphate (CP) will continue until all ATP PC energy is used up. The use of ATP is high intensity and would usually be used in a 50m sprint or a pass in touch. Once the CP energy is used up the body then switches to the lactic acid system. This is because of the breakdown of glucose, resulting in the production of lactic acid. The lactic acid system an anaerobic energy system, which lasts for approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and is the conversion of glycogen to glucose. In relation to a game of touch football, the lactic acid system could be used during a quick wruck, as the movements required are a...
As the exercise intensifies, you need more energy and therefore more oxygen. Your blood carries oxygen from the lungs to your muscles. To keep up with these increased oxygen needs, you have to have more blood going into your muscles. As a result, your heart pumps faster, sending more oxygenated blood to your muscles per second. Aim-
Aerobic exercise involves improving the cardiovascular system. It increases the efficiency with which the body is able to utilize oxygen (Dintiman, Stone, Pennington, & Davis, 1984). In other words, aerobic exercise means that continuous and large amounts of oxygen are needed to get in order to generate the amount of energy needed to complete the workout. The most common type of aerobic exercise is long-distance running, or jogging. While running, the body requires large amounts of energy in order for the body to sustain energy. “During prolonged exercise, most of the energy is aerobic, derived from the oxidation of carbohydrates and fats” (Getchell, 1976).
The exhaustion you feel after finally crossing the finish line at a marathon is like nothing you have felt before. You are completely drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your legs hurt to the bone, at the same time you are gasping for air while your throat screams for moisture. All of this is a small price to pay for the overwhelming feeling of self pride and accomplishment you are overcome with. Running the marathon is only half of the process. Training is very important with steps such as finding motivation, diet, safety, stretching, and last preparations the day of the marathon. With many physical, mental, and social benefits the hardship is well worth it. I greatly enjoy running and hope to one day run a full marathon.