Recovering After Exercise
Physical Education: AQA GCSE, topic 1.3.2
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (Epoc)
In basic terms, EPOC is the increased rate of oxygen consumption after difficult and tiring anaerobic activity.
Oxygen debt
- Oxygen debt is the temporary shortage of oxygen in the body because of tiring activity.
- During anaerobic exercise, the body produces energy without using oxygen. This means that a waste product called lactic acid is created.
Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)
- When the anaerobic activity stops, the performer will continue to breathe heavily. This is because the body will have to take in additional oxygen to ‘repay’ the oxygen debt. This is known as EPOC.
- This helps to remove the build-up of lactic acid at the working muscles. In this way, the body ‘repays’ its oxygen debt.
Potential Negative Effects of Strenuous Exercise
Strenuous exercise can have some negative effects on performers. After strenuous exercise, performers can experience:
Fatigue
Light-headedness
Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS)
Cool Down
An athlete can do a cool down immediately after exercise. This can be made up of walking or jogging and some static stretching.
Walking or jogging
- Walking or jogging should be carried out for 5-10 minutes to cool body temperature and remove waste products (lactic acid) from the muscles.
Static stretching
- Static stretching should be done for 5-10 minutes to help the muscles relax post-exercise.
Effects of a cool down
- Remove waste products.
- Reduce the effect of DOMS.
- Prevent blood pooling (lack of blood circulation) and stop light-headedness.
- Slowly reduce heart rate to a resting level.
Advantages
- Easy to do (not a difficult process to learn).
- Can be done immediately after exercise, so it can become a routine.
- Does not cost anything.
Disadvantages
- Following strenuous (difficult and tiring) activity, a performer does not always feel motivated to cool down.
- Can be time-consuming (up to 20 minutes).
Test yourself on Recovering After Exercise
What does EPOC stand for?
What do we call the temporary shortage of oxygen in the body after strenuous activity?
What is the name of the toxic waste product produced during anaerobic activity?
What are the potential negative effects of strenuous exercise on performers?
Which of the following is not a potential negative effect of strenuous exercise?