Case Study Essay Question 1
What energy system(s) would the following athletes utilize: a 100m sprinter (who runs a 100m
race in 10 seconds flat), an 800m runner (who runs the 800m in two minutes flat), and a 10,000m
distance runner (who runs a 10km race in 30 minutes flat). Also, discuss if each athlete might use
more than 1 system as well as what system that athlete would predominantly utilize the most.
Finally, be specific in describing why each athlete uses their particular energy system(s) (160pts).
During any type of exercise, an athlete needs energy to participate in the specific
exercise. That energy is created through the food source digested and the conversion of that food
through a specific energy system. The energy systems utilized by athletes are determined by the
intensity and duration of the exercise at hand. The three energy systems include the phosphagen
system, the glycolytic system, and the aerobic system. The phosphagen system is the energy
system that is utilized for immediate demands of energy without the use of oxygen in its
chemical breakdown. The glycolytic system is required to create energy when the exercise is
shorter in duration and there is not enough oxygen available to complete aerobic metabolism.
The aerobic system is the energy system that requires oxygen and used during lengthy exercises.
For this specific case study, all three athletes would be utilizing different energy systems for the
majority of their exercise.
The 100m sprinter would be only creating their energy from the phosphagen system,
simply because there will not be enough time for any of the other systems to produce energy. The
duration of the race is 10 seconds, and the phosphagen system is the only system that produces
immediate energy for the muscles. The athlete will not be able to take in any significant amount
of usable oxygen during this time, so the aerobic system is automatically not going to be an
energy system that will be used. Also, since this race is so short in duration, that means that the
athlete needs immediate energy, so the glycolytic system will not be able to provide any
significant energy for the athlete. The glycolytic system will not be able to provide any
significant energy due to this system needing about 60 seconds to be able to consistently provide
energy more efficiently than the phosphagen system.
The 800m runner will be requiring energy production from two energy systems during
their race. This is due to the intensity and the duration of the race. This race is generally
completed between intensities of a sprint and a fast-paced run; also, this race will generally take
2-3 minutes to complete. In 800m racing, the beginning of the race will usually require
immediate energy, which means that the phosphagen system is required to create that energy
until the body decides that the glycolytic system is able to create energy more efficiently. That
change will generally occur during the 30-60 second time frame. The phosphagen system can
create a good amount of energy; however, this production cannot occur for a long duration. That
lack of production is where the glycolytic system will take over and the body will mainly use this
system to complete this race.
The 10,000m runner will be utilizing all three energy systems, while prioritizing the
aerobic system for the majority of the race. The immediate energy production at the very
beginning of the race will be created through the phosphagen system. Once the phosphagen
system begins to decline in its production the glycolytic system will take over; however, this
takeover will not last long being that this race will not be run at a high intensity, which allows the
body to bring in oxygen faster than the body can expend its energy. That excess of oxygen will
allow the body to pull its energy from the aerobic system. This is the system that most athletes
want to pull from, being that this is the most efficient energy system. Also, this means that the
