Your body uses two metabolic pathways every second of every day to make energy. Aerobic and anaerobic metabolism are the names for these two ways. Both are important, but in different ways. Both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s energy currency. Whether you’re working out or just relaxing, they give your body the energy it needs to work.
What Is A Metabolism?
Your metabolism is the sum of all the bodily processes that happen in your body. It comprises everything from cellular energy for motion and heat to liver detoxification processes like alcohol metabolism, first-pass metabolism, and bilirubin metabolism. This is often boiled down to how cells make energy since every biological process needs energy. A steady flow of energy currency is needed for things like digestion, brain function, muscle function, heart rate, and more.
Energy Generation Is Divided Into Three Stages:
- A tiny quantity of ATP is produced through anaerobic glycolysis.
- The first step in aerobic metabolism is the Krebs cycle.
- The oxygen-dependent stage of aerobic metabolism within the mitochondria is the electron transport chain.
Anaerobic Metabolism
The first step in energy homeostasis is anaerobic metabolism, also called respiration. It is faster than the other process and doesn’t need oxygen. But anaerobic respiration only makes two molecules of ATP for every glucose molecule.
Aerobic and oxidative metabolism are both helped by anaerobic metabolism. It is called glycolysis because each glucose molecule is broken down into two pyruvate molecules. Even though it only makes 1/17th as much ATP as aerobic metabolism, this procedure is 100 times faster.
Glycolysis is a 10-step process that starts when phosphate is added to the glucose molecule. Then, its molecules are rearranged, and in the end, they split into two pyruvate molecules. The citric acid cycle takes place when pyruvate goes into the mitochondria. It loses each carbon atom, which comes out as carbon dioxide when you breathe out.
When aerobic and anaerobic Metabolism Provides Most Of The Energy
A cell must use anaerobic metabolism in several situations:
- Anaerobic metabolism is usually used for short bursts of powerful muscle power, like the clean and jerk or snatch moves in weightlifting.
- Mature red blood cells don’t have mitochondria, so they can’t work with oxygen.
- Some parts of your body, like the lens and cornea of your eyes or the medulla of your kidneys, don’t get much oxygen and rely more on anaerobic metabolism.
Lactic Acid Buildup
Pyruvate can’t get into the mitochondria when there isn’t enough oxygen. Instead, lactate is turned into lactic acid by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase. This is because lactic acid can raise NAD+ levels, which are needed for anaerobic metabolism to keep going. People with fibromyalgia make lactic acid at a slower or faster rate than healthy people.
Even though two ATP molecules aren’t enough, they can assist you in keeping going until you can catch your breath and one’s oxygen levels rise again. But when your cardio fitness isn’t up to par, lactic acid makes you feel tired and sore when you do aerobic exercise. It may have helped humans evolve because it makes you want to stop and take a breath.
Aerobic Metabolism
If there is enough oxygen, pyruvate goes on to help aerobic metabolism. The Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain are the two components of aerobic metabolism.
The Krebs Cycle
The citric acid cycle, the Krebs cycle, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle are all names for the first part. Most of your body’s energy needs to work comes from aerobic metabolism. One glucose molecule generates 34 ATP molecules. Before going into the citric acid cycle, pyruvate first turns into acetyl CoA.
Even though it takes 100 times longer, the citric acid cycle comprises eight steps. Seven of these are found in the matrix of the mitochondria, but one goes deeper into the inner membrane of the mitochondria. The citric acid cycle changes Acetyl CoA into two compounds of carbon dioxide. This is why carbon dioxide comes out of our lungs after we breathe in oxygen.
Your mitochondria also make NADH, FADH2, and GTP, which all play important roles in the final part of aerobic respiration. NADH and FADH2 are NAD+ and FAD+ with hydrogen atoms added. FAD+ comes from vitamin B2, while vitamin B3 makes NAD+. If you’ve ever felt better quickly after taking a B vitamin supplement that’s easy to absorb, these vitamins play a key role in making energy.
To convert pyruvate into acetyl CoA, you need vitamin B1. As your body makes carbon dioxide all through aerobic metabolism, you can use devices like the Lumen metabolism tracker to figure out how much energy you’re burning. This metabolism calculator uses a breath test to determine your basal metabolism and how much energy you use when you work out.
The Electron Transport Network
Most of your ATP is made in the electron transport chain. This is where oxidative metabolism takes place. This part of aerobic metabolism also happens inside the mitochondria. It is called oxidative phosphorylation. This is also the component of aerobic breathing that needs oxygen.
On the inside of the mitochondrial membrane is a chain of proteins and molecules that form the electron transport chain. NADH and FADH2 work with these molecules to make ATP molecules, which store energy. Coenzyme Q10 is another nutrient inside the electron transport chain. It is a supplement that helps boost energy and keep cells healthy.
Essential Nutrients For aerobic and anaerobic Cell Metabolism
Several nutrients are needed to make energy. These nutrients may play straightforward roles or help keep your mitochondria healthy, which is where aerobic metabolism happens. Whether you can help satisfy your needs with food alone or need supplements depends on how active you are or if you have health problems like migraines.
Also Read: Cook Blue Zone Breakfast Meals
Consider The Following Essential Nutrients:
- Thiamin is a type of vitamin B1 that helps the mitochondria.
- Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, is what FAD+ is made of.
- Niacin, which is vitamin B3, turns into NAD+. More and more research shows that NAD+ can slow the aging process.
- Pyridoxine, folate, and cobalamin (vitamins B6, B9, and B12) lower homocysteine, an inflammatory substance that damages the mitochondria.
- Coenzyme Q10 is a chain component that moves electrons around the body. Statin drugs can stop them from making enough of them.
- Magnesium helps make molecular bonds full of energy, like in ATP.
- Carnitine comes from animal products and is an essential nutrient. It moves fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are broken down into acetyl CoA.
- Lipoic acid is a type of antioxidant that keeps mitochondria healthy.
Caffeine isn’t an essential nutrient, but it may improve the function of the electron transport chain by making the fourth protein complex work again. But coffee has enzymes that break down vitamin B1, and caffeine may speed up your loss of water-soluble B vitamins because it makes you pee. If you use caffeine before a workout, you might want to try a B-complex.
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