ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

KEY KNOWLEDGE 1
Mechanisms responsible for the acute responses to exercise in the muscular system. Mechanisms: What are causing the changes?

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

Acute muscular system response to
exercise are those that occur within the working muscles themselves The muscular response to exercise vary according to: 1. Type of exercise 2. Intensity of exercise 3. Duration of exercise 4. The type of muscle fibre tissue recruited

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

INCREASED MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT INCREASED MUSCLE FIBRE RECRUITMENT

INCREASED BLOOD FLOW TO MUSCLES

INCREASED MUSCLES TEMPERATURE

INCREASED OXYGEN SUPPLY AND USE

ENERGY SUBSTRATE

LACTATE

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT

What is a Motor Unit?

A motor unit is a single a motor neuron and all of the corresponding muscle fibres it innervates; all of these muscle fibres will be of the same type (either fast twitch or slow twitch). When a motor unit is activated, all of its fibres contract.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT
What is a Motor Unit cont..?
The number of muscle fibers within each MOTOR UNIT can vary: thigh muscles can have a thousand muscle fibers in each unit, eye muscles might have ten muscle fibres. In general, the number of muscle fibers innervated by a motor unit is a function of a muscle's need for refined motion. The smaller the motor unit, the more precise the action of the muscle. Muscles requiring more refined motion are innervated by motor units that synapse with fewer muscle fibers.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT
A motor unit is the means by which the CNS
talks to the muscles to control contractions. During exercise the FORCE of contractions

INCREASES.

Force of contractions can be achieved by 2

means: 1.An increase in the number of MOTOR UNITS recruited 2.An increase in the frequency of messages sent

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

Motor Unit recruitment is determined by the
strength and speed of a muscular contraction. The more forceful and frequent the muscular contraction, the greater number of Motor Units are recruited. E.g. A 100m sprinter would recruit a higher % of Motor Units in their leg muscles, to stimulate the fast twitch fibres to contract rapidly and forcefully A person going for a slow walk would recruit a much lower % of Motor Units in the same

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

THE ALL OR NOTHING PRINCIPLES
A MOTOR UNIT will contract MAXIMALLY or NOT ALL, depending upon the strength of the stimulus.

MOVEMENTS THAT REQUIRE MAXIMAL CONTRACTIONS WILL: 1.RECRUIT AS MANY MOTOR UNITS AS POSSIBLE 2.FREQUENCY OF NERVOUSE STIMULATION WILL ALSO INCREASE FORCE PRODUCTION

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

INCREASED BLOOD FLOW TO MUSCLES

Vasodilation of the capillaries which directly supply blood to the working muscles and a redistribution of blood away from internal organs (vasoconstriction), provides more blood and therefore more O2 to the working muscles.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

INCREASED MUSCLE/BODY TEMPERATURE
Increased blood flow and heat produced from ATP
(energy) production during exercise, results in increases in muscle temperature. The by-product of increased ATP production/breakdown which occurs during exercise, is HEAT! This raises the overall body temperature. The bodies response to the increased body temperature is 2-fold: 1. Sweat gland stimulation 2. Blood flow to the skin increases to cool the blood. 3. During MAXIMAL exercise, blood vessels to the skin VASOCONSTRICT, increasing overall body

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

INCREASED OXYGEN SUPPLY & USE The muscle cells are delivered more O2 and also extract and use more O2 from the blood during exercise for increased ATP (energy) production.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES
Since energy is released when ATP is broken down, energy is required to rebuild or resynthesize ATP. The building blocks of ATP synthesis are the by-products of its breakdown; adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi). The energy for ATP resynthesis comes from three different series of chemical reactions that take place within the body. Two of the three depend upon the food we eat, whereas the other depends upon a chemical compound called phosphocreatine. The energy released from any of these three series of reactions is coupled with the energy needs of the reaction that resynthesizes ATP. The separate reactions are functionally linked together in such a way that the energy released by the one is always used by the other.[2] There are 3 methods to resynthesize ATP: ATP-PC system (Phosphogen system) - This system is used only for very short durations of up to 10 seconds. The ATP-PC system neither uses oxygen nor produces lactic acid if oxygen is unavailable and is thus said to be alactic anaerobic. This is the primary system behind very short, powerful movements like a golf swing, a 100 m sprint or powerlifting. Anaerobic system (Lactic Acid system) - Predominates in supplying energy for exercises lasting less than 2 minutes. Also known as the Glycolytic System. An example of an activity of the intensity and duration that this system works under would be a 400 m sprint. Aerobic system - This is the long duration energy system. By 5 minutes of exercise the O

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES
ENERGY SUBSTRATES INCLUDE:

i. ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate ii. CP/PC: Creatine Phosphate or Phosphate Creatine iii. Muscle Glycogen iv. Intra-muscular triglycerides (fats)
During exercise ALL energy substrates decrease in level as a result of the continued need for ATP production (re-synthesis) in the muscle cells, to maintain muscular contraction.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES
ATP : ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE Immediate source of energy for ALL muscular contractions. ATP ADP + P (energy) Stored within the muscles Short supply and only lasts for a few seconds of muscular contraction. Once ATP supplies are exhausted, the muscles must rely on other energy substrates to fuel metabolism (contractions) and produce more ATP for continued muscular contraction.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES PHOSPHOCREATINE (PC) or CREATINE PHOSPHATE (CP) CP or PC donates a Phosphorous molecule to ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) to produce (re-synthesize) ATP Found at muscle site Depletes rapidly during high intensity exercise Primary fuel used in short high intensity exercises e.g.sprints

MUSCLE GLYCOGEN Found at muscle site

A form of glucose (sugar) used by the muscle cells to help produce ATP Depletes more rapidly during sub-maximal endurance activities.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES
LACTATE Large amounts of lactate (lactic acid) are released from the muscles into the blood as a result of anaerobic production of ATP. It takes time for sufficient amounts O2 to reach the muscles to help ATP production during exercise. Until O2 supplies meet O2 demands by the muscles, ATP production is synthesized without O2 (anaerobic glycolysis). the by-product of anaerobic glycolysis is lactate, which quickly increases at the start of sub-maximal

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

ENERGY SUBSTRATES
LACTATE Once O2 supplies meet O2 demands the majority of ATP
is produced aerobically. (Steady State) Some lactate is still produced during steady state, to help create ATP during exercise, but the rate of production and the rate of removal are equal, therefore no accumulation of lactic acid occurs. If exercise intensity increases to a point where O2 supplies cannot meet ATP requirements during more intense & frequent muscular contractions, the Anaerobic Glycolysis system is called upon and lactate begins to accumulate in the muscles.

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

LACTATE INFLECTION POINT (LIP)
BLOOD LACTATE LEVELS BEGIN TO INCREASE During the initial stages of sub-maximal exercise, anaerobic production of ATP is required, until sufficient amounts of O2 can be delivered, which takes time. Until O2 supplies meet O2 demands, there is a significant increase in the production & levels of lactic acid in the muscle which then diffuses into the blood. Once sufficient amounts of O2 are delivered, the CV System is able to remove lactate at the same rate as

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

LACTATE INFLECTION POINT (LIP)
BLOOD LACTATE LEVELS BEGIN TO INCREASE
As exercise intensity increases, more anaerobic
production of ATP is required and a corresponding increase in lactate levels occurs. Once exercise intensities reach a certain % of VO2 max lactate is produced in quantities greater than what can be removed; this point is known as the LACTATE INFLECTION POINT. High levels of LACTATE in the body will only begin to decrease, once exercise intensity decrease to a level, lactate production is less than removal. An active recovery increases lactate removal by

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE

HYDROGEN IONS (H+)
Hydrogen Ion Accumulation Hydrogen Ions are a by-product of lactate being broken
down, (as part of the removal process of lactate from the muscles). During high intensity exercise, large quantities of lactate are produced, and therefore a corresponding high level of H+ ions are also produced & found inside the muscle. H+ ions increase the acidity within the muscles (lower pH levels). Low pH levels 6.9 or below has been shown to INHIBIT, the rate of glycolysis for ATP production. High H+ levels also reduce muscles from contracting

ACUTE MUSCULAR RESPONSES TO EXERCISE