Analyse how the availability of different fuel sources affects an athlete's performance in a 90-minute soccer match. (6 marks)
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Sample Answer
- The ATP-PCr system provides immediate energy for explosive sprints and tackles in the first few seconds of each high-intensity effort through stored creatine phosphate.
- During the match, muscle glycogen serves as the primary fuel source, supporting both aerobic activity for general play and anaerobic bursts for sprinting or rapid directional changes.
- As the match progresses and muscle glycogen becomes depleted, the body increasingly relies on fatty acid oxidation for energy production during lower intensity periods of play.
- The maintenance of blood glucose levels through liver glycogen breakdown becomes crucial in the latter stages of the match to sustain both physical and mental performance.
- Players often experience fatigue in the final 15 – 20 minutes of the match due to significant depletion of muscle glycogen stores, resulting in reduced sprint capacity and skill execution.
- Athletes who engage in carbohydrate loading protocols prior to the match can increase their muscle glycogen stores by up to 50%, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue and maintaining performance intensity throughout the full 90 minutes.
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Sample Answer
- The ATP-PCr system provides immediate energy for explosive sprints and tackles in the first few seconds of each high-intensity effort through stored creatine phosphate.
- During the match, muscle glycogen serves as the primary fuel source, supporting both aerobic activity for general play and anaerobic bursts for sprinting or rapid directional changes.
- As the match progresses and muscle glycogen becomes depleted, the body increasingly relies on fatty acid oxidation for energy production during lower intensity periods of play.
- The maintenance of blood glucose levels through liver glycogen breakdown becomes crucial in the latter stages of the match to sustain both physical and mental performance.
- Players often experience fatigue in the final 15 – 20 minutes of the match due to significant depletion of muscle glycogen stores, resulting in reduced sprint capacity and skill execution.
- Athletes who engage in carbohydrate loading protocols prior to the match can increase their muscle glycogen stores by up to 50%, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue and maintaining performance intensity throughout the full 90 minutes.