Is high intense exercise the most efficient training condition in regards to weight loss due to greater energy expenditure?
LABORATORY BASED CLIENT REPORT
1.
Introduction
Obesity is an ongoing issue and prevalence worldwide is constantly increasing (Cameron et al., 2003).
A study area of great interest is the relationship between weight loss or the loss of fat mass and exercise intensity. Metabolic function, energy sources and energy expenditure all have great influence on the success of weight loss.
For efficient metabolic function the human body requires an ongoing energy source. This energy source comes from the food that has been consumed. Metabolism refers to chemical reactions responsible for energy transfer within the body (Moffet, Moffet, & Schauf, 1993). Once food enters the body it must go through a series of chemical events in order to be converted to chemical energy ready to be utilised (McArdle,
Katch & Katch, 2007).
As reported by Plowman and Smith (2011), the metabolic system has two main functions: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is a process in which energy is used to build tissues in the body whereas catabolism produces energy from the breakdown of foods and stores it in order to offer energy to the body when it is required.
The energy rich compound, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is considered to be the most preferential agent for energy transfer (McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2007). It is the underlying molecule which powers all cellular processes. This compound is not transferred directly to cells from macronutrients but rather is harvested and funnelled (McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2007). This process which converts energy from food to
ATP is called cellular respiration and it is divided into anaerobic (does not require oxygen) and aerobic
(requires oxygen) elements (Plowman and Smith, 2011).
The main sources of energy are carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are considered the preferential fuel for the human body because they supply energy to several tissues and demand less oxygen to be metabolised (McArdle et al., 2007). Fats are utilised to
1.
Introduction
Obesity is an ongoing issue and prevalence worldwide is constantly increasing (Cameron et al., 2003).
A study area of great interest is the relationship between weight loss or the loss of fat mass and exercise intensity. Metabolic function, energy sources and energy expenditure all have great influence on the success of weight loss.
For efficient metabolic function the human body requires an ongoing energy source. This energy source comes from the food that has been consumed. Metabolism refers to chemical reactions responsible for energy transfer within the body (Moffet, Moffet, & Schauf, 1993). Once food enters the body it must go through a series of chemical events in order to be converted to chemical energy ready to be utilised (McArdle,
Katch & Katch, 2007).
As reported by Plowman and Smith (2011), the metabolic system has two main functions: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is a process in which energy is used to build tissues in the body whereas catabolism produces energy from the breakdown of foods and stores it in order to offer energy to the body when it is required.
The energy rich compound, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is considered to be the most preferential agent for energy transfer (McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2007). It is the underlying molecule which powers all cellular processes. This compound is not transferred directly to cells from macronutrients but rather is harvested and funnelled (McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2007). This process which converts energy from food to
ATP is called cellular respiration and it is divided into anaerobic (does not require oxygen) and aerobic
(requires oxygen) elements (Plowman and Smith, 2011).
The main sources of energy are carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are considered the preferential fuel for the human body because they supply energy to several tissues and demand less oxygen to be metabolised (McArdle et al., 2007). Fats are utilised to