ATP and Energy

For muscles to contract they need energy. And as you probably know this
comes from what we eat: more importantly the glucose and triglycerides in the
food. But the muscles do not directly get their energy from here. Their
immediate source of energy is ATP (Adenosine TrioPhosphate) [ah-den-o-zyn
try-fos-fate] and it has the following structure:

As the diagram shows, there are a string of phosphates coming from the
ribose unit which is where ATP gets its energy from. The last bond contains a
lot of energy, that is released when it is broken down and
forms ADP (adenosine DiPhosphate). This is exactly the same as ATP but
with one P removed.
To rebuild energy reserves the body uses energy from respiration to put a P
back onto ADP to reform ATP; and thus the molecule is recycled.

Aerobic and Anaerobic

Now we are looking at this in more detail you must know that there are two
types of respiration in humans: aerobic and anaerobic, but rather than being
two separate types, they are part of the same pathway.
Anaerobic means without oxygen and the first stage of the reaction does not
use any, so is anaerobic and produces ATP. If the reaction continues it will
use oxygen to produce even more ATP. However, if there
is insufficient oxygen then only anaerobic respiration will take place
and lactate(which is acidic) is produced as a by-product. The table below
summarizes the two systems.

Anaerobic Aerobic
Near maximum for up to 1 Long term exercise but lower
Type of Supply
minute intensity
Up to 36 can be produced per
ATP produced 2 per glucose molecule
glucose molecule
By product Lactate Only carbon dioxide
Athletic
200m to 400m sprints From 800m to marathons
Comparison
Muscle Fatigue
When not enough oxygen gets to the muscles, the respiration will become
more anaerobic. Continuing this will lead to a build up of lactate in the
muscles, which is acidic, and causes a pH dropin the blood plasma. This
causes muscle fatigue where muscles ache and do not contract correctly,
because the pH levels interfere with the functioning of the proteins and
enzymes. So this is what stops you when you are exercising too much.
All of this built-up lactate does not stay in the blood indefinitely. It is taken to
the liver where it is broken down to glycogen via the process of oxidation.
This process in the liver however, requires oxygen. So after exercise we
breath heavily to get enough oxygen to break down the excess lactate, this is
known as an oxygen debt.

Chemical Energy and ATP

1. ATP is a molecule with three
phosphate groups attached
to the end

2. When ATP loses one of the

phosphates it releases energy for
cell functions

3. Now it is ADP which is a molecule

with only two phosphates groups
attached

4. Then energy is added

from the breakdown of glucose

5. The energy helps add a phosphate group back on making it become an

ATP again and the process starts over