Introduction to Energy Expenditures

Success of cross country skiers depends largely on aerobic and anaerobic energy sources. Aerobic and anaerobic energy systems work together to provide the Olympic skiers with efficient energy sources. During the first two hours of cross country skiing, skiers utilize aerobic and anaerobic muscle energy. As time increases, the utilization of anaerobic muscle energy decreases. For example, for the first minute of skiing, the skier uses 70% of anaerobic energy (Type II muscle fiber) and at one hour the skier uses only 2% of anaerobic muscle energy. The opposite is true for the utilization of aerobic energy use. For the first minute of skiing, the skier uses 30% of aerobic energy (Type I muscle fibers) and at one hour, the skier is using 98% of aerobic energy. In the graph, you can see that for two hours of cross country skiing almost 100% of the energy used is aerobic or Type I muscle fibers.

Three systems used to generate ATP (energy)

The energy we derive from food is stored in a high-energy compound, ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). Cells generate ATP by three methods: The ATP-PCr System The simplest of the energy systems is the ATP-PCr system. In addition to ATP, your body has another high-energy phosphate molecule that stores energy. This molecule is called phosphocreatine, or PCr. Your ATP and PCr stores can sustain your muscles' energy needs for only 3 - 15 seconds during an all-out sprint. Beyond that point the muscles must rely on other

processes for ATP formation: the glycolytic and oxidative combustion of fuels. The Glycolytic System This system derives its name from the fact that it involves the process of glycolysis, which is the breakdown of glucose via special glycolytic enzymes. This energy system does not produce large amounts of ATP. Despite this limitation, the combined actions of the ATP-PCr and glycolytic systems allow the muscles to generate force even when the oxygen supply is limited. These two systems predominate during the early minutes of highintensity exercise. The Oxidative System The final system of energy production is the oxidative system. Because oxygen is used, this is an aerobic process. Muscles need a steady supply of energy to continuously produce the force needed during long-term activity. Unlike anaerobic ATP production, the oxidative system has a tremendous energy yield, so aerobic metabolism is the primary method of energy production during cross country skiing. This places considerable demands on the body's ability to deliver oxygen to the active muscles.

Energy Expenditure at Rest and During Exercise

There is a minimum level of energy required to sustain the body's vital functions in the waking state. It is called the basal metabolic rate, or BMR. To estimate a person's resting energy expenditure in terms of total kilocalories (kcal), the appropriate BMR value should be multiplied by the surface area computed from height and weight. For a thirteen year old boy, the estimated BMR is 43 kcal per m2 per hour. If his surface area was 5'0" (1.68 m2 ), the hourly energy expenditure would be 72.2 kcal/hour (43 kcal x 1.68 m2). This is the rate at which your body used energy. Estimates are based on measurement of whole-body oxygen consumption and its caloric equivalent. At rest an average person consumes about 0.3 Liters of oxygen per minute. At rest, the body usually burns a mixture of carbohydrate and fat. Most individuals burn 4.80 kcal/L oxygen consumed (O2). Using these values we can calculate this person's energy expenditure as follows:

Kcal/day = L O2 consumed per day x kcal used per L O2 Kcal/day = 423 L O2/day x 4.80 kcal/L O2 Kcal/day = 2,074 kcal/day

This value is a close estimation of a 154 lb (70kg) man.

The energy expenditure for very large athletes engaged in intense daily training can exceed 10,000 kcal per day

Energy Costs of Various Activities

The amount of energy expended for different activities varies with the intensity and type of exercise. The energy cost of many activities has been determined, usually by monitoring the oxygen consumption during the activity to determine an average oxygen uptake per unit of time. Obviously, any activity above resting levels will add to the projected daily expenditure. The range for total daily caloric expenditure is highly variable. It depends on many factors, including: Activity level, age, gender, size, weight and body composition. The average daily caloric expenditure for female and male cross country skiers depends on if they are training (women 3500 kcal/day, men 5,000 kcal/day) or not training (women 2700 kcal/day, men 3500 kcal/day).

The energy costs of sport activities also differ. Look at tennis (male 7.1 kcal/min and female 5.5 kcal/min) compared to cross country skiing (male 24 kcal/min and female 18 kcal/min)

SOURCE : http://btc.montana.edu/olympics/physiology/pb04.html