ESSENTIALS OF STRENGTH TRAINING AND

CONDITIONING MULTIMEDIA SYMPOSIUM

Presentation 2:
Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training


by:
Joel Cramer, PhD, CSCS,*D; NSCA-CPT,*D

NSCA Certification Commission

3333 Landmark Circle Lincoln, NE 68504 402-476-6669 888-746-2378 commission@nsca-cc.org www.nsca-cc.org

Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training Presentation 2


2006 NSCA Certification Commission Page 2

MULTIMEDIA SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW

This multimedia symposium was developed for the specific purpose of providing individuals who sit
for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

(CSCS

) certification exam with a review of

facts, concepts, and theories that are relevant to strength training and conditioning.

You are encouraged to simultaneously listen and watch the symposium video presentation, view the
PowerPoint

slide show, follow along in the presentation outline, and add your own notes in the
spaces within the outline (more paper may be necessary).

To maximize the value of the multimedia symposium when preparing for the CSCS exam, you may
find it helpful to first study the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (2
nd
edition) text.
Further, candidates who perform well on the CSCS exam typically have considerable practical
experience in strength training and conditioning athletes (e.g., designing programs, teaching proper
exercise technique, performing testing sessions) and a strong academic background in the exercise
sciences (i.e., anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, etc.). For additional suggestions for preparing for
the CSCS exam, go to www.nsca-cc.org.

NOTICE:
Although this presentation was recorded live and then professionally edited for scope and length,
there are some room sounds, voice fluctuations, abrupt video cuts and piecing of video clips, and
content variations. Every possible effort was made to minimize these irregularities.

All of the content of the multimedia symposium is protected by copyright. No part of the multi-
media symposium may be reproduced or transmitted (in part or in full) by any means or in any form,
electronic or mechanical, including digital copying or recording, or via any information retrieval
system, including internet and intranet communications, without permission in writing from the
NSCA Certification Commission.

While comprehension of the information provided by the multimedia symposium should certainly
increase the likelihood of passing the CSCS certification exam, it does not guarantee a successful
performance. The questions on the CSCS exam are developed from numerous resources in addition
to the multimedia symposium.
Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training Presentation 2


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I. Introduction

A. Basic definitions

1. Energy


2. Bioenergetics


3. Catabolism


4. Anabolism


5. Exergonic reactions


6. Endergonic reactions


7. Metabolism


8. ATP


B. An illustration of metabolism (Figure 1)


Large molecules
Small molecules
Catabolic/exergonic
reactions
ATP
ADP
Energy
Energy
Anabolic/endergonic
reactions
Small molecules
Large molecules
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II. Biological Energy Systems

A. Three energy systems to replenish ATP

1. Phosphagen system


2. Glycolytic system


3. Oxidative system


B. All energy systems are active at any given time


C. The extent of contribution

1. Primary


2. Secondary


III. Phosphagen System

A. Primary functions

1. Provide ATP for high intensity activities lasting 0-6 seconds (up to 20-30
seconds)


2. Other names for this energy system


3. Active at the start of all exercise, regardless of intensity



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B. Three primary reactions (Figure 2)



1. Hydrolysis of ATP ADP + inorganic phosphate + energy


2. Resynthesis of ATP

a. ADP + creatine phosphate ATP + creatine


3. Also to resynthesize ATP

a. 2 ADP ATP + AMP


C. Enzymes used to hydrolyze ATP: Myosin ATPase, Sodium-potassium (Na
+
-K
+
)
ATPase, and Calcium (Ca
++
) ATPase


D. Creatine kinase and myokinase reactions are near-equilibrium reactions: the
concentrations of the reactants will drive the direction of the reactions





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IV. Glycolytic System

A. Primary functions

1. Carbohydrate (CHO) breakdown to produce ATP in the cytoplasm (i.e.,
sarcoplasm of a muscle cell)


2. Provides energy primarily for moderate to high intensity activities: for 30
seconds up to 2-3 minutes of activity in a hypoxic cellular environment



































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B. Glycolysis (Figure 3)



1. Begin with one molecule of glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) via the hexokinase
reaction

a. If from blood glucose, 1 ATP is needed to phosphorylate the blood
glucose molecule to keep it from leaving the cell


b. If from muscle glycogen, ATP is not yet needed (1 ATP is saved)



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2. Phosphofructokinase (PFK) reaction

a. Costs 1 ATP to create fructose-1,6-bisphosphate


b. The rate limiting step or reaction of glycolysis


3. So far, the processes are priming the 6-carbon molecule (chain) to split into
two 3-carbon molecules (i.e., glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate or G-3-P)


4. Reduction of NAD
+
(i.e., to reduce the relative proportion of oxygen): when
a hydrogen ion (H
+
) is added to NAD
+
, it is reduced to NADH


5. 2 types of ATP phosphorylation (i.e., 2 ways to produce ATP) : ATP is
actually produced, not used (which is what has occurred up to this point):

a. Substrate level phosphorylation: ATP molecules are synthesized (from
ADP) during the breakdown of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G-3-P) at
two specific reactions (as shown in Figure 3, page 7)


b. Oxidative phosphorylation: NADH and FADH
2
are oxidized in the
electron transport chain to produce ATP (discussed in section E)


6. For each of the two G-3-P molecules (i.e., the right and left sides of Figure 3,
page 7) 2 ATP and 1 NADH are created (4 ATP and 2 NADH total)


7. After pyruvate is created, glycolysis may proceed in one of two directions:

a. Fast glycolysis (anaerobic glycolysis): pyruvate is reduced to lactic
acid, providing ATP at a fast rate


b. Slow glycolysis (aerobic glycolysis): pyruvate is transported to the
mitochondria (to the Krebs Cycle) for use in the oxidative system


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8. Summary (net total energy production)

a. 2 ATP (-2 + 4 = 2) from blood glucose


b. 3 ATP (-1 + 4 = 3) from muscle glycogen


C. Fate of pyruvate (primarily determined by energy demands within the cell)

1. High rate of energy demand

a. Insufficient oxygen present


b. Fast glycolysis


c. Example


2. Low rate of energy demand

a. Sufficient oxygen present


b. Slow glycolysis


c. Example


D. Lactic acid vs. lactate

1. Lactic acid

a. Corresponding hydrogen (H
+
) accumulation


b. Negative feedback

i. Calcium (Ca
++
) release from sarcoplasmic reticulum


ii. Actomyosin formation
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iii. Glycolytic enzyme activity


c. Results in fatigue


2. Lactate (converted from lactic acid via a bicarbonate buffer; lactate reflects
lactic acid production and clearance)

a. Not believed to be fatigue-producing


b. Energy substrate

i. Gluconeogenesis: the formation of CHO from a non-CHO
source


ii. Cori cycle (from the muscle to the liver and back to the muscle)


E. Energy yield of glycolysis (Figure 3, page 7)

1. From glucose: 2 ATP


2. From muscle glycogen: 3 ATP


3. With slow glycolysis, 2 NADH are transported to the mitochondria where they
each produce 3 ATP (total of 6 ATP) via oxidative phosphorylation


V. Oxidative System

A. Primary function: provide ATP for low intensity activities lasting longer than 3
minutes


B. Substrates

1. CHO


2. Fats
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3. Proteins


C. Location


D. Krebs Cycle (Figure 4); also called the Citric Acid Cycle or the Tricarboxylic Acid
Cycle (TCA Cycle)



1. Pyruvate (from slow glycolysis) enters into the Krebs Cycle; the 3-carbon
(chain) pyruvate becomes a 2-carbon (chain) acetyl-CoA; the extra carbon that
is removed combines with O
2
to make carbon dioxide (CO
2
) which is later
exhaled


Krebs Cycle
Protein
Oxidation
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2. Reduce 1 NAD
+
to NADH (creates 3 more ATP in the ETC; see section E)


3. 2-carbon (chain) acetyl-CoA combines with oxaloacetate (a 4-carbon chain) to
produce citrate (a 6-carbon chain)


4. Citrate gets recycled into oxaloacetatefollow the circle in Figure 4, page 11
clockwise(the 6-carbon chain gets recycled into a 4-carbon chain) and:

a. The 2 removed carbons combine with oxygen to create CO
2
(the
primary by-product of the Krebs Cycle)


b. NAD
+
is reduced 3 times, and FAD
++
is reduced once, which results in
oxidative phosphorylation (ATP production) in the ETC (see section E)


c. Substrate level phosphorylation creates 1 ATP (indirectly through
GTP; see section B.5.a. for more details on substrate level
phosphorylation)


5. Isocitrate dehydrogenase is the rate limiting step or reaction in the Krebs
Cycle


6. NOTE: all of the above reactions occur TWICE for each 6-carbon glucose


E. NADH and FADH
2
molecules are transported to the Electron Transport Chain (ETC)
in the mitochondria to produce ATP (Figure 5) via oxidative phosphorylation



1. The NADH (reduced NAD
+
) and FADH
2
(reduced FAD
++
) molecules
phosphorylate ADP or ATP


2. The H
+
ions are passed down a series of electron carriers to form a H
+
ion
(proton) concentration gradient to synthesize ATP with ATP synthase from
[ADP + inorganic phosphate]
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3. NAD
+
and FAD
++
differ in the ability to produce ATP (Figure 5, page 12)

a. 1 reduced NAD
+
produces 3 ATP


b. 1 reduced FAD
++
produces 2 ATP


4. Oxygen serves as the terminal electron receptor/acceptor; used to create the
primary by-product of the ETC: water


F. Total energy yield of oxidation of 1 blood glucose molecule

PROCESS ATP PRODUCTION
Slow glycolysis
Substrate level phosphorylation 4
Oxidative phosphorylation: 2 reduced NAD
+
(3 ATP each) 6

Krebs Cycle (occurs twice for each glucose molecule)
Substrate level phosphorylation (GTP) 2
Oxidative phosphorylation:
8 reduced NAD
+
(3 ATP each) 24
2 reduced FAD
++
(2 ATP each) 4
Total (gross): 40
Total (net): 38*

*Glycolysis consumes 2 ATP (if starting with glucose), so net ATP production
is 40: 2 = 38. If start with glycogen, net ATP production is 40: 1 = 39.


G. Fat oxidation (Figure 4, page 11)

1. Free fatty acids enter the mitochondria and undergo beta oxidation


2. Beta oxidation results in the formation of acetyl-CoA


3. ATP is produced both from substrate level phosphorylation and oxidative
phosphorylation


4. Adaptations to training

a. Increase in muscle mitochondrial content
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b. Spares CHO for use by the central nervous system


c. Helps prevent a substantial drop in intracellular pH


5. Total energy yield of oxidation of 1 triglyceride molecule

PROCESS ATP PRODUCTION
1 molecule of glycerol 22
147 ATP per fatty acid (3 fatty acids per
triglyceride molecule) 441
Total: 463*

*Other triglycerides that contain a different amount of carbons will yield more
or less ATP.


H. Protein oxidation (Figure 4, page 11)

1. Amino acids can be broken down and converted into glucose, pyruvate and
various Krebs Cycle intermediates (Figure 4, page 11)


2. Gluconeogenesis


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*A simplified summary of fat, CHO and protein metabolism (Figure 6)*




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VI. Energy Production and Capacity

A. There is an inverse relationship between the rate and the capacity of the phosphagen,
glycolytic, and oxidative systems to supply ATP (Table 1)

5__



4__




3__



2__



1__
| | | | |
1 2 3 4 5


Relative Rate of ATP Production
(1 = slow; 5 = fast)
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

C
a
p
a
c
i
t
y

o
f

A
T
P

P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

(
1

=

s
m
a
l
l
;

5

=

l
a
r
g
e
)

Phosphagen
Fast Glycolysis
Slow Glycolysis
CHO oxidation
Protein oxidation


B. The extent to which the energy systems contribute to the energy being produced is
primarily determined by the intensity and secondarily by the duration of the exercise
(Table 2) (When the speaker describes Table 2, know that he is looking a different
version of what is shown here. Also, by mistake, the speaker describes the duration of
the phosphagen system as between 60 and 30 seconds it should be between 6
and 30 seconds.)

Very Intense__




Intense__




Heavy__




Moderate__




Light__
| | | | | |
0 6 30 120 180



F
a
s
t

G
l
y
c
o
l
y
s
i
s

+


O
x
i
d
a
t
i
o
n

P
h
o
s
p
h
a
g
e
n

Exercise Duration (seconds)
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

E
x
e
r
c
i
s
e

I
n
t
e
n
s
i
t
y

P
h
o
s
p
h
a
g
e
n

+

F
a
s
t

G
l
y
c
o
l
y
s
i
s

F
a
s
t

G
l
y
c
o
l
y
s
i
s

Oxidation

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VII. Substrate Depletion and Repletion

A. Energy substrates used to produce ATP

1. Phosphagen


2. Glycogen


3. Glucose


4. Lactate


5. Free fatty acids


6. Amino acids


B. Phosphagen and ATP

1. Depletion

a. Creatine phosphate (CP) stores can decrease 50-70% in the first 5-30
seconds; virtually eliminated as a result of high intensity exercise


b. ATP stores do not decrease more than 60% even with very intense
exercise


2. Repletion

a. Post-exercise resynthesis of ATP can occur within 3-5 minutes; CP
up to 8 minutes


b. Most post-exercise phosphagen resynthesis is accomplished through
aerobic mechanisms



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c. Current work:rest ratio recommendations (Table 3)

TRAINING SPECIFIC ENERGY SYSTEMS
Percent of
maximum power
Primary energy
system stressed
Typical
exercise time
Work:rest
ratios
90-100 Phosphagen 5-10 seconds 1:12 to 1:20
75-90 Fast glycolysis 15-30 seconds 1:3 to 1:5
30-75
Fast glycolysis
and oxidative
1-3 minutes 1:3 to 1:4
20-35 Oxidative >3 minutes 1:1 to 1:3

C. Glycogen

1. Depletion

a. Rate of breakdown increases with intensity


b. Selective glycogen depletion can cause early fatigue without total
depletion


2. Repletion

a. Post-exercise CHO ingestion (if inadequate, post-exercise glycogen
resynthesis is impaired)


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GLOSSARY OF TERMS


Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)principle energy compound in most cells; energy is stored in the
phosphate bonds

Aerobicoccurring in the presence of oxygen

Anaerobicoccurring in the absence of oxygen

Beta oxidationseries of reactions that results in the formation of acetyl-CoA from free fatty acids

Bioenergeticsflow of energy in a biological system

Creatine phosphatehigh energy compound in cells used to regenerate ATP

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)a series of reactions in mitochondria that converts hydrogen
ions into carbon dioxide and water, and produces ATP

Endergonicenergy consuming

Exergonicenergy releasing

Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH
2
)a coenzyme; an electron carrier in energy metabolism

Glycolysisbreakdown of glucose

Inorganic phosphatereleased during the hydrolysis of ATP

Krebs Cyclea series of reactions in mitochondria that produces reduced electron (FADH
2
and
NADH) carrier for the ETC

Metabolismtotal of all catabolic/exergonic and anabolic/endergonic reactions in a biological
system

Mitochondriasite of aerobic energy production

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)a coenzyme; an electron carrier in energy
metabolism

Oxidative phosphorylationprocess of the ETC in which inorganic phosphate is added to ADP
(adenosine diphosphate) to form ATP (adenosine triphosphate) with oxygen serving as the
final electron acceptor
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PRESENTATION REFERENCES


1. Baechle, T.R. and R.W. Earle. (Eds.). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (2
nd

ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 2000.

2. Brooks, G.A., Fahey, T.D., White, T.P. and K.M. Baldwin. Exercise Physiology: Human
Bioenergetics and Its Applications (3
rd
ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishers. 2000.


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INDEX TO IMAGE REFERENCES


IMAGE NO.
F = figure
T = table
TITLE OF IMAGE IMAGE REFERENCE
F1 Exergonic and Endergonic Reactions
F2 Reactions in the Phosphagen System
F3 Glycolysis

From the National Strength and Conditioning Association, 2000,
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, edited by T.R.
Baechle and R.W. Earle, 2nd edition, page 77, figure 5.2. by the
National Strength and Conditioning Association. Reprinted with
permission from Human Kinetics (Champaign, IL).
F4 The Krebs Cycle with Beta Oxidation and Protein
Oxidation

From the National Strength and Conditioning Association, 2000,
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, edited by T.R.
Baechle and R.W. Earle, 2nd edition, page 80, figure 5.5. by the
National Strength and Conditioning Association. Reprinted with
permission from Human Kinetics (Champaign, IL).
F5 The Electron Transport Chain (ETC); CoQ=Co-enzyme
Q; Cyt=Cytochrome

From the National Strength and Conditioning Association, 2000,
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, edited by T.R.
Baechle and R.W. Earle, 2nd edition, page 81, figure 5.6. by the
National Strength and Conditioning Association. Reprinted with
permission from Human Kinetics (Champaign, IL).
F6 Summary of Bioenergetic Reactions From the National Strength and Conditioning Association, 2000,
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, edited by T.R.
Baechle and R.W. Earle, 2nd edition, page 82, figure 5.7. by the
National Strength and Conditioning Association. Reprinted with
permission from Human Kinetics (Champaign, IL).
T1 Relative ATP Production Rates and Capacities of Energy
Systems

Adapted from: Conley, M. Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training. In
T.R. Baechle and R.W. Earle. (Eds.). Essentials of Strength Training
and Conditioning (2
nd
ed., p. 83). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
2000.
T2 Exercise Intensity and Duration Characteristics of Energy
Systems

Adapted from: Conley, M. Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training. In
T.R. Baechle and R.W. Earle. (Eds.). Essentials of Strength Training
and Conditioning (2
nd
ed., p. 83). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
2000.
T3 Guidelines for Interval Training Conley, M. Bioenergetics of Exercise and Training. In T.R. Baechle and
R.W. Earle. (Eds.). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning
(2
nd
ed., p. 88). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 2000.
The NSCA Certification Commission has made every effort to trace the copyright holders for borrowed and referenced material. If any material has been inadvertently
overlooked, the NSCA Certification Commission will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.