So if I said to you it comes from microscopic organisms inside your body that developed from bacteria - would you believe me? Well probably not, but read on.

Aerobic energy production in the body happens in a process called Krebs cycle outlined in the picture below.

Now before you say ‘What the…’ let me explain its significance. Krebs cycle takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria which are also known as the powerhouse of the cell. There are some fascinating facts about these strange little powerhouses.

• Firstly they actually have their own DNA. That’s right, we have DNA that makes up who we are and then DNA that belongs to the mitochondria.
• The actual origin of these powerhouses is unknown, but they are thought to originate from bacteria. You have living organisms within you that power you and provide you with energy. Fascinating, and a little freaky!
• Another thing about mitochondria is that they are found in differing quantities from one person to the next and from one cell type to another. They are found in large quantities in the liver cells in particular.
• Mitochondria are involved in a number of processes from supplying cellular energy through to signaling, cellular differentiation, control of the cell cycle and cell death. Mitochondria are also thought to play a role in the aging process

A dominant role for the mitochondria is the production of ATP. ATP is the primary source of energy production in the body. The process that occurs to produce ATP is the process that produces energy. ATP is produced through oxidizing the major products of glucose (food), pyruvate (once lactic acid) and NADH. This process is known as krebs cycle. This requires oxygen to occur and therefore is also known as aerobic respiration or energy production.

This process has many complex sub plots that is beyond the scope of this article.

So I know that was a little heavy going but I hope you are still with me on this.

• Firstly understand this, mitochondria are important, they give you energy and are instrumental in the aging process.
• Secondly know, that oxygen is required for their function.
• Finally that there is a complex system happening within you constantly that is providing you with energy. A process that is fuelled by organisms that originated from bacteria millions of years ago.

It’s important to get a basic understanding of the above to understand how your body produces energy and therefore what you can do to hot wire it and produce more.

Mitochondria the ‘powerhouse; they have

their own DNA and are thought to have

originated from bacteria millions of years ago

It is hard to say exactly how much energy (ATP units) are produced from aerobic metabolism but it is approximately 38 units of ATP per glucose unit. Each time the ATP unit is broken down you are looking at approximately 7 Calories of energy release per breakdown cycle (of which there are three) Or approximately 3 seconds of exercise. Hence there is a need for a constant supply of glucose (food) water (required in the process) and oxygen (air) to sustain energy production.

When there is no oxygen present a different form of energy metabolism will take place, known as anaerobic metabolism. Anaerobic metabolism occurs independently of the mitochondria and yields 13 times less ATP than aerobic metabolism, meaning you run out of energy much quicker than when oxygen is present. The only upside is, due to its more simplistic processes, it takes less time to produce this energy then when oxygen is present for aerobic metabolism.

So if you hold your breath during exercise you will produce energy fast, but not much of it. Not only that, but you will produce lactic acid as a by-product. So remember only in extreme circumstances.

Hopefully now you have a basic foundation in the complexities of energy metabolism at a cellular level. To recap, remember this:

1)     More energy is produced with oxygen than without

2)     Energy without oxygen is produced along with lactic acid

3)     Glucose (food) and water are required for energy production

4)     Treat your mitochondria well, give them what they need and in turn, they will give you what you need

Next article we will look at how food impacts on this process in the formation of glucose units. Until then, take a deep breath…..

Go on click on the picture….

This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Exercise Science, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.