AEROBIC ENERGY SYSTEM

BHAVANI.V
MPT WOMENS HEALTH
T0521004
OBJECTIVE:

 To know about aerobic energy system

 To know about its pathways
 Overall energy yeild
INTRODUCTION:

 The human body has three main methods for using energy to sustain
itself and fuel exercise.
 These physiological pathways are called ENERGY SYSTEM and
the most important of these for endurance is the AEROBIC
ENERGY SYSTEM.
 The aerobic energy system is the method by which cells generate ATP
in the presence of oxygen.
 The aerobic energy system uses oxygen to sustainably release energy.
 The aerobic system produces far more ATP than either of the other
energy system but it produces the ATP much more slowly , therefore
it cannot fuel intense exercise that demands the fast production of
ATP.
CELLULAR ACTIVATION :

 Most energy for phosphorylation derives from the oxidation

(“biologic burning”) of the dietary carbohydrate, lipid, and protein
macronutrients.
 Oxidation reactions (those that donate electrons) and reduction
reactions (those that accept electrons) remain coupled and
constitute the biochemical mechanism that underlies energy
metabolism.
 This process continually provides hydrogen atoms from the
catabolism of stored macronutrients. The mitochondria, the cell’s
“energy factories,” contain carrier molecules that remove electrons
from hydrogen (oxidation) and eventually pass them to oxygen
(reduction). ATP synthesis occurs during oxidation–reduction
(redox) reactions.
OXYGEN ROLE IN ENERGY METABOLISM :
 Aerobic metabolism refers to energy-generating catabolic
reactions where oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor in the
respiratory chain to combine with hydrogen to form water.
 In one sense, the term aerobic seems misleading because oxygen
does not participate directly in ATP synthesis.
 On the other hand, oxygen’s presence at the “end of the line” largely
determines the capacity for aerobic ATP production and the
sustainability of intense endurance exercise.
 During aerobic ATP resynthesis, oxygen serves as the final electron
acceptor in the respiratory chain to combine with hydrogen to form
water.
SOURCE OF FUEL:
 The aerobic system can use carbohydrate , fats , protein as its source
of fuel though protein is used sparingly, it is the presence of oxygen,
which allows this energy system to use these various fuel sources.
AEROBIC ENERGY PRODUCTION FROM GLUCOSE:

 When oxygen is present the complete breakdown of glucose is

possible.
 This occur in the mitochondria and produces carbon dioxide, water,
energy.
 The advantage of aerobic energy production is that there are no
fatiguing by products, the energy sources are usually abundant and
lots of ATP can be produced.
 The breakdown of glucose into energy involves three stages:
Glycolysis , Kreb’s cycle and the Electron transport chain.
AEROBIC ENERGY PRODUCTION FROM FAT:

 Fatty acids are broken down by a process called Beta-oxidation to

acetyl CoA which enters the Kreb’s cycle ( eventually electron
transport chain)
 Even more ATP can produced from fat than from glucose(during
electron transport chain) but far more O2 is required.
 Fat is therefore an excellent energy source at rest or low intensity
exercise but cannot be used during high intensity exercise when a
lack of O2 becomes a limiting factor.
EFFICIENCY OF ATP PRODUCTION:
 The aerobic system is very efficient in producing ATP. It produces
38 ATP molecules per glucose, but the rate of production is medium
and cannot cope with the higher intensity levels.

DURATION THAT THE SYSTEM CAN OPERATRE:

 This energy system can produce ATP continuously for well over an
hour. In fact it may not have a limit as long as fuel sources can be
found.
 However muscle glycogen which will result in san increased need
for oxygen as fats becomes the dominant fuel sources and uses more
oxygen per ATP produced than carbohydrate.
BY PRODUCTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION:

 The aerobic system produces water and carbon dioxide as

byproducts in its production of ATP.
 Water can build up in the muscle and cause stiffness and a sort of
swelling if exercise is continued at a high enough intensity for long
enough, but generally it is transferred out of the muscle and into the
blood as water is being lost through sweat during exercise.
 The carbon dioxide is taken out of the muscle and expired by the
lungs into the atmosphere . Carbon dioxide if not removed can
cause fatigue but is normally removed well.
MITOCHONDRIA:
Enzymes present in mitochondria
MEMBRANE OF MITOCHONDRIA:
CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM
GLYCOLYSIS:
KERB’S CYCLE:
ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN :
COMPLEX IN ETC

COMPLEX 1 COMPLEX2

COMPLEX 4 COMPLEX 3
METABOLISM OF FATTY ACID
BETAOXIDATION:
PHASES OF AEROBIC METABOLISM
TOTAL ENERGY YEILD:
ADVANTAGES OF THE AEROBIC SYSTEM :
 Lots more ATP can be resynthesised (38 moles of ATP from 1 mole
of glycogen).
 The body has large stores of muscle glycogen and triglycerides so
exercise can last for several hours.
 Oxidation of glycogen and fatty acids do not produce any fatiguing
by products.
DISADVANTAGE OF THE AEROBIC SYSTEM:
 The aerobic system cannot resynthesis ATP instantly because of the
delay in O2 transportation.
 Cannot provide ATP at high intensity work levels.