COURSE CONTENT
There are 7 lessons as follows:
Lesson 1. Energy and Work
- Anaerobic energy supply
- Phosphate energy
- Lactic acid energy
- Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
- Aerobic energy supply
- Energy requirements for different types of activity
- Breathing during exercise
- ATP movement
- ATP sources
- ATP-PC system
- Lactic acid system
- Oxygen system
- Aerobic systems
- Krebs cycle
Lesson 2. Energy Pathways
- What is energy
- The nature of energy
- Units of measurement
- Production and storage of energy
- Carbohydrates in an animal or human body
- Glycogenesis
- Glycogenolysis
- Gluconeogenesis
- Hyperglycaemia
- Carbohydrate oxidation
- Glycolysis
- Hydrolysis
- Hydrolysis of metal salts
- Hydrolysis of an ester link
- Energy production pathways from different foods: fats, carbohydrates, proteins
- Respiratory quotient
- Resting quotient
- Aerobic capacity
- What happens during exercise
- Recovery from exercise: alactacid and lactacid oxygen debt, Replenishing muscular glycogen
- Lactic acid
- Calculations
Lesson 3. The Acid-Base Balance
- pH
- What is acidity
- The urinary system: Kidneys, ureters, bladder
- Physiology of the Urinary system
- The urea cycle
Lesson 4. Osmosis and Diffusion
- Diffusion explained and examples given
- Nature and types of diffusion
- Movement of molecules through cell membranes
- Endocytosis
- Membranes and their structure
- Osmosis
- Osmosis and filtration
- Membrane transport: simple passive, active and facilitated transport
- Chemical potential
- Osmotic pressure
- Reverse osmosis
Lesson 5. Atmospheric Pressure
- Altitudes
- Introduction to atmospheric pressure
- Partial pressure gradients
- Effects of change in pressure
- Equalising when diving
- Gas solubility
- Breathing at different atmospheric pressures
- Calculations
Lesson 6. Temperature Regulation
- Introduction
- Effect of temperature changes on the human body
- Conduction and convection
- Lowering temperature: sweating, vasodilation, metabolic reduction, hair, behaviour
- Raising temperature
- Vasoconstriction
- Increased metabolism
- Behaviour
- Effect of temperature on enzymes
- Eccrine glands
- Apocrine glands
- Energy production
- Factors affecting individual BMR: growth, body size, food, thyroid gland
- Fever: mechanism of fever, shivering, other temperature disorders
- Grades of fever
- Signs of fever
Lesson 7. Ergogenic Aids to Performance
- Introduction
- Drugs: steroids, amphetamines
- Oxygen
- Vitamins
- Water
- Other foods: carbohydrates, protein
- Creatine
- Caffeine
- Antioxidants
CORE COMPETENCIES DEVELOPED
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Explain the biochemical processes that convert energy into work and power within the human body.
- Compare the body's energy pathways during rest, exercise and recovery.
- Explain the physiological importance of maintaining acid–base balance and its role in normal body function.
- Describe the mechanisms of active and passive transport across cell membranes.
- Evaluate the effects of changing atmospheric pressure on human physiology and physical performance.
- Explain the biological mechanisms involved in regulating body temperature (thermoregulation).
AIMS
Here are just some of the things you may be doing:
- Explain biological energy cycles, using illustrations where appropriate.
- Explain two examples of energy pathways in the body, including an anaerobic and an aerobic pathway.
- Explain the function of ATP in body energy pathways.
- Explain the significance of the following terms to understanding body energy pathways:
- energy
- work
- power
- efficiency during exercise.
- Explain the consumption of oxygen during different stages of activity, including:
- at rest
- warming up
- peak activity
- cooling down.
- Calculate the net cost of exercise in litres per minute, for a set situation.
- Explain the measurement of efficiency during the exercise carried out in a set task.
- Explain problems which may occur in physiological processes during running a marathon.
- Explain in one paragraph for each, the following acid-base terms with relevance to exercise:
- buffer
- alkali reserve
- alkalosis
- acidosis.
- Describe respiratory regulation of pH in the human body.
- Describe how regulation of pH occurs in the kidneys.
- Explain the effect of strenuous exercise on body pH.
- Explain osmosis in a specific biological situation (of your choice).
- Distinguish between diffusion and facilitated diffusion in the human body.
- Explain how electro-chemical forces maintain cellular equilibrium.
- Explain how active transport mechanisms occur at a cellular level.
- Describe three situations where pressure changes can affect body function, including:
- scuba diving
- mountain climbing.
- Explain the effects of pressure changes on different parts of the body, including examples of changes due to altitude and scuba diving.
- Explain the effect of a decompression treatment on a diver suffering from nitrogen narcosis.
- List mechanisms of heat loss in the human body.
- List mechanisms of heat gain in the human body.
- Explain the operation of thermal receptors and effectors in the human body.
- Describe the exercise session which you underwent in your set task, and explain the maintenance of body temperature during that exercise session.
- Explain how temperature regulation may be different during peak exercise, to what it may be during exercise at 60-70% effort.
- Explain the effects of steroids on the body, in relation to both performance, and other health factors, during two different types of activity.
- Explain the effect of amphetamines, and other performance enhancing drugs on the body, during an activity of your choice.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of amino acid use to enhance physical activity.
- Explain the use of blood doping to enhance physical performance in a specific activity.
- Explain ways oxygen can be used to enhance performance in a specific activity.
- Explain the effect of different vitamins on three different types of performance.
- Explain the effect of aspartic acid salts on a specific performance.
WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?
Study our Bioenergetics course and gain essential knowledge of energy production, transformation, and management. Understand about the energy pathways, and how the body and systems regulate and manage themselves in different states - at rest, work, and recovery.
The course will provide valuable knowledge for those working in areas such as:
- The fitness industry - as fitness leaders, trainers, and coaches.
- Health science - in areas such as research.
- The medical profession.
- Those working in holistic treatment.
WHAT NEXT?
Explore human energy biochemistry online. Enrol today to learn how metabolic energy is produced, transformed, and used by the body for health, fitness, and professional development.
HUMAN BIOLOGY STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
" ...it is very informative and worthwhile. I am glad I started the course. Of the many available from different schools, this offers the best value for money. "
Sonia, Human Biology
"The information given was excellent, but the assignments also made you look further to find answers yourself and I find this a much better way of learning than just being handed all the answers. It has given me a grounding knowledge in human biology which is perfect as I am applying to study Chiropractics at university next year. I couldn’t have asked for more from my tutor. She was very thorough and extremely helpful with any problems I encountered".
Kate, Anatomy