BRAINCAKESprint Athletes
A 100 m sprinter needs a huge amount of ATP very quickly, far faster than oxygen can be delivered to the muscles. Sprinting therefore depends mainly on anaerobic sources of ATP.
For the first few seconds, ATP is regenerated from creatine phosphate, which transfers its phosphate to ADP. This store is small and runs out in around 10 seconds. After that, glycolysis followed by lactate production supplies ATP rapidly, at the cost of lactate build-up.
Sprinters' muscles contain a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, adapted for rapid, powerful contraction:
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Key terms in this lesson
- myoglobin
- A red, oxygen-binding protein found in muscle that stores oxygen and releases it during exercise.
More in Cellular Respiration
- Investigating the Site of ATP Synthesis
- Glycolysis
- Anaerobic Respiration in Mammals
- Lactate
- Anaerobic Respiration in Plants and Fungi
- Discovery of Glycolysis
- Aerobic Respiration: Summary
- The Link Reaction
All 20 lessons in Cellular Respiration · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics