Energy Systems, By Mark Elmasry
Exerting energy is broken down physiologically in three simple categories. The body can use energy in the alactic energy system, the lactic energy system, or the aerobic energy system. Depending on how the work we are doing exhausts our energy, we can only be using any one of these three any systems or a combination of any two. When we perform a sport or put our body through any sort of task it demands certain muscle fiber types. This is how we gauge how in shape we are and how difficult a task or a sport may be. Muscle fiber type recruitment is what makes every sport different and exciting in its own unique way.
The alactic energy system may also be known as the phosphagen-creatine (PCr) energy system. This means that we have a creatine reserve that is only about eight to twelve seconds of work maximum. This is the short-burst, quick and explosive energy system. Phospho-creatine (alactic) energy system allows to pick up something extremely heavy for a short few seconds or to throw a light object as hard as possible. When creatine is used in the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the bi-products are ADP and one phosphate (P). This takes about a minute or in some demanding situations a matter of hours to replenish back to normal blood levels again. This energy system is what we use when we sprint, jump, throw, lift or carry heavy objects, and explode in any direction. When our creatine is depleted in the short eight to twelve seconds we have it for, depending on our level of conditioning, our body immediately taps into the lactic energy system we have carrying us through the job.
The lactic energy system is longer in duration than the PCr (alactic) energy system and allows us to do a lot more work. Our lactic threshold, as physiologists explain, is a maximum of about two minutes and is the main energy system used when we do moderate to intense work for more than a few seconds. There is always crossover when we perform a task for any amount of time longer than a few seconds. We use our fast and slow glycolytic energy systems, or otherwise known as the lactic system. These two types of essentially the same energy system mean that we “burn” through our energy until it literally burns from the build-up of lactic acid acutely in the muscles working along with the byproduct of pyruvate. The lactic energy system almost starts immediately when we push through a job lasting longer than a few seconds and can train our oxidative glycolysis, or breakdown of sugars through the use of oxygen, to be as conditioned as we need to be. An athlete like a wrestler, mid distance swimmer or a high pace runner would all have highly conditioned lactic energy systems. Following the powerful couple of minutes that we have from the lactic energy system is the aerobic energy system.
The aerobic energy system is what keeps us alive. This energy system is our means of using oxygen to fuel our blood cells to allow the muscles to work. Every tissue in the body needs richly oxygenated blood cells to regulate processes and breathe in a sense. This is the purely low intensity energy system that can last us forever unless the heart stops pumping blood to and from the lungs and therefore system failure. This energy system can be conditioned to push us through healthy recovery for the other two energy systems and allow us to perform slightly higher intensity work for longer periods of time.
Regarding every genetic makeup of either fast twitch or slow twitch muscle fiber type, it is the fine tuning of an energy system that can prepare any physiological make-up for any task. The three energy systems we use are the alactic, the lactic, and the aerobic energy systems. We conveniently can only perform work in any one or combination of these three energy systems. Humans are built in this specific way. Although similar to many animals genetically, we have our own specific physiological make-up and unfortunately cannot come close to the amount of work some animals can perform, yet fortunately can recover much faster than most animals. Energy systems are a beautifully organized means of how we are programmed to move and play.
Aubrie Pohl says
For an overall improved quality of life, the human body needs to constantly be challenged in many ways. By building progressions based on three different energy systems, Innovative Results is able to improve the performance of each and every person that walks through the doors, from couch potato to elite athlete. Our body taps into the systems depending on the amount of time and how much power we are exerting. This is a great article that elaborates each system and when they are used.