Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction

ATP, adenosine triphosphate (there are three phosphates in ATP), is not stored to a great degree in cells. Once muscle contraction starts the regeneration of ATP must occur rapidly. There are three primary sources of ATP which, in order of their utilization, are creatine phosphate (CP), anaerobic glycolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation. Energy from ATP derives from cleaving of the terminal phosphate of the ATP molecule. The resulting molecule is called ADP, adenosine diphosphate. Creatine phosphate converts ADP back to ATP by donating its phosphate in the presence of an enzyme which is called either creatine kinase (CK) or creatine phosphokinase (CPK). The reaction of CP with ADP to form ATP is very rapid but short lived, since the cell does not store high amounts of CP. However during short, high intensity contractions, CP serves as the major source of energy. This form of energy generation is often called alactic anaerobic because it neither produces lactate nor requires oxygen. It is of paramount importance in sports requiring bursts of speed or power such as sprints of 10 seconds or less in duration. As soon as muscle contraction starts, the process of anaerobic glycolysis also begins. Anaerobic glycolysis does not contribute as large an amount of energy as CP in the short term, but its contribution is likely to last from 30 to 60 seconds. During glycolysis, locally stored muscle glycogen and possibly some blood born glucose, supply the substrate for energy generation. No oxygen is required so the process is called anaerobic. Lactic acid (lactate is the salt) is formed as the end product of pure anaerobic glycolysis. Sufficient lactic acid formation can lower the pH of the cell to the extent that metabolism is turned off in the cell. The major substrate for anaerobic glycolysis is glycogen, so prior hard exercise without adequate repletion of glycogen is going to limit further high intensity, short term work by muscles.

The final, and virtually limitless supply of energy, comes from the process of oxidative phosphorylation. Maximum energy production rates from oxidative phosphorylation are not as high as from glycolysis. Aerobic events like the marathon are run at a considerably slower pace than a 440 because of this fact. The substrates for oxidative metabolism are primarily glucose and fat (free fatty acids, not cholesterol), although protein can also act as an energy source through intermediate conversions to glucose, glucose precursors or free fatty acids. Because fat can be metabolized aerobically, most well nourished humans have a near limitless supply of energy for low intensity exercise. Limitation of low intensity exercise is rarely due to substrate depletion, although depletion of muscle glycogen may also result in fatigue during aerobic events. The reasons for this are beyond the scope of this description.