Response to Exercise & Metabolism

Response to exercise

• During exercise muscles need more energy, so they respire faster and need more oxygen and glucose
• The body responds: heart rate, breathing rate and breath volume all increase, to supply the muscles with more oxygenated blood and remove carbon dioxide faster
• If insufficient oxygen reaches the muscles, they respire anaerobically too. The incomplete oxidation of glucose causes a build-up of lactic acid and creates an oxygen debt
• During long periods of vigorous activity muscles become fatigued and stop contracting efficiently, partly because of the lactic acid
• (HT) Blood flowing through the muscles carries the lactic acid to the liver, where it is converted back into glucose
• (HT) Oxygen debt is the amount of extra oxygen the body needs after exercise to react with the accumulated lactic acid and remove it from the cells. That is why breathing and heart rate stay high after exercise stops

• Investigating exercise: measure resting heart rate (pulse for one minute), do a set exercise for a set time, measure heart rate immediately after and every minute until it returns to resting. Use several people, repeat, and take means. Control the type and intensity of exercise, the rest before starting, and the temperature