Introduction:

The Human machine and energy source

The human body is an amazing and complex machine which reacts to the
environment it’s in and the nutrition it gets from the foods we put into it. This
complex ’human machine’ consists of many different, interconnected machines.
Each machine (heart, lungs, intestines, etc.) runs at its own individual speed, but all
function in a specific, predetermined relationship to each other. In this sense, the
body is analogous to the most complicated man- made machines, such as
automobiles, tape recorders, or space capsules, which consist of many separately
functioning components that are mechanically linked together, each of which, in
itself, is a complete machine. In fact, the human body is the most complex of all
such compound machines.

The human machine is capable of turning food into usable energy for the working
muscles and organs. Human movement, whether involving contractility of the
myocardium, the series of contractions involved in stepping up a stair, is an energy
dependent process. The science of energy formation, transfer and use within a
biological system is termed as bioenergetics.

From an elementary perspective, bioenergetics may be viewed as the processes

involved in transferring energy found in a common food source, such as a potato,
which can be eaten by a human, undergo digestion and absorption, and pay the
liver a visit for conversion into blood glucose, which can supply the muscle with a
substrate that allows it to produce usable energy, adenosine tri phosphate (ATP).
This may then enable the muscle to contract to help in manifesting a desired effort
or movement. In industrial terms, the transfer of energy is commonly seen in the
combustion of fuel which drives an engine to operate.
ATP and the Basis of Usable Energy

Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the molecule from which energy for your body
is produced. Put simply, all of the energy is provided by the nutrients we eat is
captured by your body in ATP. In order to produce any movement, the potential
energy stored in ATP is liberated. The rate at which energy can be produced to
allow human movement and to power physical performance is dependent upon
cellular factors. More specifically, the rate of energy production is governed by the
energy systems that are available and how quickly they can resynthesize ATP.

Three different energy systems come into play during muscular activity. Each of
the system’s goals is to produce ATP. The first system uses creatine inside of the
muscle fiber. It produces enough ATP for movements that occur for less than 30
seconds. Non-oxidative energy production picks up where creatine left off. This
production of ATP is done without oxygen and uses readily available glycogen
stored inside the muscle. Non-oxidative energy production is not sustainable.
Oxidative energy production occurs with the help of oxygen and is very
sustainable. It is responsible for most of the energy that is produced while
exercising.

Our body stores fat and glucose in order to have it readily available for producing
ATP. Glucose circulates in the blood and is also stored inside your muscles.
Muscle glycogen stores are the first source of nutrients during non-oxidative and
oxidative energy production. If we are participating in a sustainable physical
activity, the body has the ability to use muscle glycogen, blood glucose and liver
glycogen; it can also liberate fat for use as well.
Using three different systems of energy production, our body is able to do almost
anything that we demand of it. Proper nutrition, including a well- balanced diet and
recovery from exercise, keeps the motor running. The body needs a good mix of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats for its functions. Just like putting the wrong type
of petrol into your car will affect the workings of your car so is putting the wrong
foods into your body. Despite the diversities existing with the different body types
of individuals; inhabitation in different food types based on local availability,
being a single species, it is possible to provide universal guidelines on how best to
attain good health through nutrition.

Overview of Food and Nutrition

The term food refers to anything that we eat and which nourishes the body. It
includes solids, semi-solids and liquids which can be consumed and which help to
sustain and keep it healthy. Food is essential because it contains substances which
perform important functions in our body. The important functions of food are:

1. Growth: Food is essential for growth. Without food a living organism will
stop growing. The living cells in our body multiply after getting nourishment
from the food we eat. Insufficient or a wrong type of food does not help
healthy growth.
2. Repair: Living organisms sometimes damage their parts by accident.
Constant work also causes wear and tear of the body parts. If we get a
wound or cut, it heals up after some time. If we damage our skin due to
some burn etc., it regains its shape in due course. The body needs food for
all these functions.
3. Energy: We spend our energy when we do work. That is why after doing
considerable work, we get tired. We then need food and rest to regain the
lost energy. If we do not get food, we would become weak.
4. Protection from Diseases: We need to protect our body from diseases and
keep it healthy. For this, we need vitamins and mineral salts in our food.
Vitamins neither provide energy nor do they repair or replace the worn-out
parts. But they are essential for our proper health.