Aerobic Respiration and

Olympic/Paralympic Athletes
 Lesson Objective
To understand how athletes get the energy they need to perform in the
Olympics or Paralympics.

Success Criteria
• Recall the aerobic respiration word equation and definition
• Describe how cells get the reactants they need to carry
out respiration
• Explain gas exchange
 How Does a Marathon Runner Get
Energy?
• Richard Whitehead is a world-record-
holding Paralympic marathon runner.
• How does he get his energy?
 The answer includes these points…
Respiration
•The body releases energy
through aerobic and anaerobic
respiration.
•Long-distance running over long
periods uses more aerobic
respiration.
•Short bursts of activity, such as
the 100m, use more anaerobic
respiration.
•Aerobic means
‘with oxygen’.
•Anaerobic means ‘in the
absence of oxygen’.
 Respiration…Is Not Breathing!
• All cells respire.
• Respiration occurs in
the mitochondria.
• In order for cells to respire, they
need glucose and oxygen – Key point!
where do we get these from? You need to know the word
equation (and it’s always
• Energy is released so that we can
move and keep warm and so that good to know
our cells can grow the balanced symbol
and divide. equation, too!)

glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O
 Delivery by Diffusion
Diffusion = net movement of particles from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration along a
concentration gradient.
• Blood plasma carries reactants to
tissues and products
from tissues.
• Diffusion allows reactants and
products to move in and out
of cells.
• Carbon dioxide moves out and
glucose and oxygen move in.
• Capillaries are adapted to allow
this to happen by having very thin
walls.
 Questions…
The (reactant) gas Oxygen
that goes into the cells is ...

The (product) gas that comes out of the cells is ...

Carbon dioxide

The other reactantGlucose

in aerobic respiration is ...

The process that allows gases to move into and out of cells is ...
Diffusion
 Gas Exchange
• Happens in the lungs.
• Deoxygenated blood from the heart
gets pumped to the lungs where it
becomes oxygenated by gas
exchange.
• Oxygenated blood gets pumped
around the body.
• Carbon dioxide is exhaled and
oxygen is inhaled.
• Adaptations to allow this to happen
include: one-cell-thick wall of
capillary and alveoli, and large
network of capillaries to increase
surface area.
 Questions…
They might need to breathe pure oxygen beforehand to boost their oxygen levels and then swim with as little
movement as possible - less movement means less glucose is required for respiration.
What might a free diver need to do before attempting to dive deeply?

Red blood cells carry oxygen, which is needed for respiration. Respiration releases energy. The
Russian
more athletes
oxygen have
supplied to abeen banned
cell, the more from
energythe Paralympics
it can release usingdue to a doping
respiration. scandal.
By re-injecting
How
his would
or her bloodandoping
own blood, athletegive an athlete
will have anblood
more red unfair advantage
cells (ignoring
than usual. This meansany other
that more
oxygen will reach hisperformance-enhancing
or her muscle tissues in a given
drugstime.
thatThe
mayincreased
have rate of respiration in
the muscle cells allows them to contract faster without tiring, giving an advantage over other
been taken)?
athletes.

Key definition – blood doping

This is when blood is removed from the body and then re-
injected once the body has replenished it.
 In Your Own Words
Explain how athletes get energy to
perform in the Olympics
or Paralympics.

Self-assess your answer; it

should include:
•the correct aerobic respiration word equation
(stretch yourself by including the symbol
equation as well);
•a description of where the reactants
come from;
•an explanation of what happens in terms of
diffusion and gas exchange in the cells;
•an explanation of where in the cell respiration
occurs.
 Aerobic Respiration

• Recall the aerobic

respiration word equation
and definition.
• Describe how cells get the
reactants they need to carry
out respiration.
• Explain gas exchange.
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