the lactic acid system (anaerobic glycolitic)

• what is the role of the lactic acid system?

  
  

  the role of the lactic acid system is to re-synthesis ATP - anaerobically. the anaerobic system provides energy for high intensity activities
• what is the fuel source for the lactic acid system?

  glycogen. we have stores of glycogen in the muscles and in the liver. fast twitch fibres have more of this glycogen
• how do we break down glycogen?

  glycogen needs to be broken down into a usable sugar. we break it down into glucose - 6 - phosphate, we can use this to re-synthesis ATP. The break down process if called glycolosis. we break down this glucose to get a product called pyruvic acid. in the break down to pyruvic acid, we generate two ATP, so we are able to re-synthesis 2 ATP from this process. it takes 2 ATP to do the break down so are net gain is 2 ATP.
• what enzymes are involved?

  1. glucosephosphorylase (GPP) - the breakdown of glycogen into glucose - 6 - phosphate
  2. phosphofractokinase - active enzyme (PFK)
• extra points

  because we are working at high intensitys we have insufficient O2. we convert this pyruvic acid by fermentation. the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase converts pyruvic acid into lactic acid.
• advantages of the anaerobic glycolitic system

  
  

  • high intensity energy - sprints etc
  • no oxygen delivery delay - glycogen is already in cells/muscles
• disadvantages of the anaerobic glycolitic system

  • short duration
  • by product of lactic acid
  • energy yield insufficient - 1:2 - 1 glycogen and 2 ATP