BTEC LEVEL 2 SPORT
UNIT 4 – THE SPORTS
PERFORMER IN ACTION
Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems
D Nicholls
OBJECTIVES
To identify what we mean by the aerobic and the
anaerobic energy systems.
 To consider specific sports that use each system.

IMPORTANT

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All tasks on this PPT should be completed on
your website unless otherwise stated.
Make sure you put appropriate information on
appropriate pages as and where required – this
means you may have to create more pages!
TASK 1: KEY TERMS

First off – some definitions! You need to
demonstrate an understanding of the following
terms:
Alactic Acid
 Glycolysis
 Lactic Acid
 Creatine Phosphate

TASK 2: WHAT IS MEANT BY…

Next up – following on from our first task,
EXPLAIN what is meant by:

The Aerobic Energy System

The Anaerobic Energy System
Remember –
Explain means IN
YOUR OWN
WORDS!
AEROBIC VS ANAEROBIC
TASK 3: THE ENERGY SYSTEMS IN ACTION


So – now that we’ve explained
what we mean by each of the
key terms, you now need to find
out when we use these energy
systems.
Task:
Using YouTube, find 2 videos
that demonstrate the Aerobic
Energy System being used in a
sport, and 2 videos that
demonstrate the Anaerobic
Energy System being used.
 Embed the videos onto your
website.
 For each video, explain WHY
they are using that energy
system.

SO…ANAEROBIC…ATP-CP

What this means is:


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Reliance on stored adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (the
molecule that produces the energy in all living
things), energy supplied by ATP (up to four seconds)
Another stored molecule, creatine phosphate (CP)
helps restore ATP
CP is restored aerobically (with oxygen)
Energy is supplied by ATP and CP (four to 20
seconds)
When this system runs out of ATP-PC stores,
glycolysis takes place.
ANAEROBIC…GLYCOLYSIS/LACTIC ACID



ATP is made from glucose stored in the liver and
muscles
Energy is supplied by ATP, CP and muscle glycogen
(20 to 45 seconds)
Energy is supplied by muscle glycogen (45 to 240
seconds)


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Waste product is lactic acid
When this system is unable to maintain energy
requirements, the aerobic system starts to
produce energy
Sports that use this system to provide energy are
moderate to high intensity, i.e. short bursts of
exercise lasting a few minutes, e.g. running 400 m,
800 m, and 1500 m distances.
SO…IF WE SUMMARISE…


The anaerobic energy system relies on stored
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is responsible
for producing energy.
Creatine Phosphate (CP) helps restore ATP.





CP is restored AEROBICALLY
The energy you use in the first 4-20 seconds is
supplied through these – Glycolysis occurs when this
energy is used up.
ATP is made from glucose stored in both the liver
and muscles, so the energy supplied by ATP, CP and
muscle glycogen is responsible for 20-45 seconds,
then the muscle glycogen for 45 – 240 seconds.
As a result, a waste product; Lactic Acid; is
produced.
When the body reaches the limit of the above – we
shift over to Aerobic Energy.
TASK 4: ANAEROBIC ENERGY
You need to explain what we’ve just looked at IN
YOUR OWN WORDS.
 This means you should explain it as if you were
giving a talk to a class, or explaining it to a friend
who doesn’t understand it.
 You can use diagrams to back up your information
as and where required.

AEROBIC ENERGY


For example during longer
periods of exercise/activity;
sustained energy relies on this
system.
Sports that mainly use this
system to provide energy used for
sustained activity are longdistance events such as marathon
running, long-distance swimming,
long-distance cycling.
Energy supplied by muscle glycogen
and fatty acids (240 to 600 seconds)
 Uses oxygen as a means of making
energy (re-synthesising ATP)
 Low to moderate intensity (beyond
90 seconds).

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?


Simply put – the following:
Aerobic exercise, is submaximal exercise which
gets your heart rate and breathing rate up, over a
sustained period. For example, jogging,
swimming, cycling. Aerobic exercise is excellent
for the health of your heart and lungs.
TASK 5: AEROBIC EXERCISE

Explain what we mean by what we have just
looked at – making sure you are clear about
WHY we call it aerobic exercise and WHAT
happens.
LONG TERM ADAPTATIONS TO AEROBIC
EXERCISE

Make sure you note these down!

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Makes more red blood cells so more Oxygen can be
transported in the blood
Your arteries become wider and more elastic so that your
blood pressure falls
Your heart grows bigger (hypertrophies) and the walls
become thicker so it can pump more blood with each beat.
This means it doesn't have to beat so fast!
More capillaries grow within your muscles so that more
O2 can get there quicker
Your heart rate returns to normal more quickly following
exercise
More capillaries also grow around the alveoli in your
lungs so more O2 is taken into the blood and more CO2 is
released
Your diaphragm and intercostal muscles become
stronger so they can make your chest cavity bigger
meaning you can breathe in more air with each breathe
TASK 6: ADAPTATIONS

Explain how the body adapts to aerobic exercise
over a long period of time, making sure you are
specific and clear in your explanation.
TASK 7: A HAND OUT.
Your next task is to create a hand out that can be
given to students who are investigating the
energy systems and how they work.
 You should consult the help PPT on DJN’s
website and summarise slides 1-10 in a hand out
form.

Make sure you include and EXPLAIN the graphs
included.
 Make sure the information is in YOUR OWN
WORDS.
 Make sure you use appropriate illustrations.

TASK 8: COMPARISON
Now that you’ve found out all of the key
information – you need to draw some
comparisons between the sports that use the
different energy systems.
 To do this, you should complete the following:

DESCRIBE how the body uses the different energy
systems – be VERY CLEAR!
 Compare how the different energy systems are used
in sports with different demands:

What is similar?
 What is different?
 Why is this?


Make sure you use specific examples!
TASK 9: 2 ATHLETES

Now then – you need to chose 2
athletes:
1 from a sport that uses the Aerobic
Energy System
 1 from a sport that uses the
Anaerobic Energy System


You should conduct some research
into them, so research:
Their training methods
The demands of their sport
A bit of history about their
achievements
 Why their sport is Aerobic or
Anaerobic




You should make sure you embed
video of them in action with your
work by way of further evidence.