Energy Consumption During Exercise

Investigation 2.2.1: Energy Consumption during Exercise

Question: How does the power of aerobic exercise compare to the power of anaerobic exercise, and how much glucose does exercise consume?

Predictions:

a. Aerobic exercise is probably 3 to 4 times as powerful as anaerobic exercise.

b. The exercise will probably burn less than a quarter of the sugar on a teaspoon

Analysis:

u. After lifting the dumbbell continuously, a feeling of heat is present. The muscles in the arm do feel a 'burning' sensation. Theoretically, this happened because during respiration, energy is released but most of the produced energy is not used or stored by the body. It is lost as heat energy. This heat energy that escaped due to respiration in the muscles increased the internal temperature of the participant's arm.

v. After a certain time of continuous lifting, the participant felt minor cramps building up in the muscles. This indicated that the muscles were no longer respiring aerobically but had switched to anaerobic form. During the second stage, the cramps kept developing and there was continuous pain in the arm. The lactic acid that kept building up in the muscles due to anaerobic respiration was the reason for this. The cramps ensured the start of the second stage. This stage is also known as the state of oxygen debt where there isn't enough oxygen to fully oxidise glucose during respiration.

Evaluation:

w. Statistically, aerobic exercise was 1.08 times more powerful than anaerobic exercise. It was not the same but much lower than predicted but it is theoretically viable. It is expected that aerobic exercise will be more powerful than anaerobic exercise because it produces much less energy in comparison.

x. The investigation has various sources of error and factors that vary the results. They are as follows:

- Person lifting the dumbbell cannot maintain the exact speed of lifting the weight throughout the investigation. This may be improved if the person lifts a weight well under his or her capability. For example, if 15 pounds was the weight used, 10 pounds should be used to get a more accurate result.

- It is merely an approximate on behalf of the person lifting the weight when he or she indicates that anaerobic respiration has begun. The participant must be very honest and mention the first time a cramp or discomfort is felt to indicate the end of the first stage. Also, near the end, the person should stop whenever it becomes impossible to keep up the same speed of lifting.

- The height of the weight above the table may not be measured exactly what it is. Instead of holding a ruler against the arm of the participant,