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Muscles need oxygen to make energy efficiently. Oxygen is first absorbed by the blood as it passes through the lungs, binding to a special protein called haemoglobin contained within red blood cells. The oxygen is then pumped by the heart through the vascular system to the rest of the body. The harder muscles work, the more energy they require, and therefore the more oxygen they need.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscles need oxygen to | Make energy efficiently |
| Muscles consume oxygen to | Produce energy |
| Muscles regulate oxygen consumption using | The oxygen-sensitive enzyme FIH |
| Oxygen is absorbed by the blood as it passes through the | Lungs |
| Oxygen is then pumped by the | Heart |
| Oxygen is released into the | Cells |
| Oxygen is used in the | Breakdown of molecules to create energy |
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What You'll Learn
Muscles need oxygen to make energy efficiently
When the blood reaches the muscles, the oxygen is used by mitochondria to make energy from sugar. As the workload of the muscles increases, so does the amount of energy they require, and thus the amount of oxygen they need. This is why we breathe more when we exercise.
A study by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that an enzyme called FIH determines how muscles consume oxygen. Without the enzyme, the need for oxygen increases during physical exercise. Elite athletes have been found to have higher levels of FIH in their muscles than others.
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Oxygen is absorbed by the blood and pumped to the muscles
Muscles need oxygen to make energy efficiently. Oxygen is first absorbed by the blood as it passes through the lungs, binding to a special protein called haemoglobin, which is contained within red blood cells. The oxygen is then pumped by the heart through the vascular system to the rest of the body. The oxygen is released into the cells where it is used in the breakdown of molecules to create energy. Mitochondria produce carbon dioxide (CO2) as a waste product. When the blood is pumped back to the lungs, the CO2 is exhaled and the cycle begins again.
The amount of oxygen muscles require depends on the workload. Muscles performing work require increasing amounts of energy as the workload increases, which correspondingly requires more and more oxygen. We breathe more when we exercise to help remove the large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is produced by the working muscles.
A study by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that an enzyme called FIH determines how muscles consume oxygen. Without the enzyme, the need for oxygen increases during physical exercise. The finding is of potential significance to elite athletes, who have been found to have higher levels of FIH in their muscles than others.
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Muscles require more oxygen when the workload increases
During exercise, the muscles consume oxygen to produce energy until the level of oxygen drops below a particular threshold. At this point, energy is generated by the process of anaerobic metabolism, which does not require oxygen.
A study by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that an enzyme called FIH determines how muscles consume oxygen. Without the enzyme, the need for oxygen increases during physical exercise. Elite athletes have been found to have higher levels of FIH in their muscles than others.
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Muscles regulate oxygen consumption
Oxygen is first absorbed by the blood as it passes through the lungs, binding to a special protein called haemoglobin contained within red blood cells. The oxygen is then pumped by the heart through the vascular system to the rest of the body. The oxygen is released into the cells where it is used in the breakdown of molecules to create energy. Muscles performing work require increasing amounts of energy as the workload increases, which correspondingly requires more and more oxygen. We breathe more when we exercise to help remove the large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is produced by the working muscles.
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The enzyme FIH determines how muscles consume oxygen
Muscles need oxygen to make energy efficiently. Oxygen is first absorbed by the blood as it passes through the lungs, binding to a special protein called haemoglobin contained within red blood cells. The oxygen-rich blood is then pumped by the heart through the blood vessels to the muscles, where it can be used by mitochondria to make energy from sugar.
FIH is an oxygen-sensitive enzyme that ensures muscles can use an oxygen-based metabolism for as long as possible. It promotes a quick transition to anaerobic metabolism, which does not require oxygen, when oxygen levels drop below a certain threshold.
The key to how and when the switch from oxygen-based metabolism to anaerobic metabolism takes place is the enzyme FIH (Factor Inhibiting HIF). Scientists have found that the levels of FIH in our muscles determine how efficiently our muscles use oxygen to create energy.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscles need oxygen to make energy efficiently.
Oxygen is first absorbed by the blood as it passes through the lungs, binding to a special protein called haemoglobin contained within red blood cells. The oxygen is then pumped by the heart through the vascular system to the rest of the body.
The oxygen is released into the cells where it is used in the breakdown of molecules to create energy.
