- Estoteric exercises (strong men competitions)
- Power lifting (heavy bench, heavy squat, and heavy deadlift)
- Olympic lifting (snatch, clean and jerk, power clean)
- High Jump
- Sprints
- Bound like sports (football, basketball, volleyball, soccer)
Glycolysis requires a sub-maximal effort, and is typically in use after the phosphagen
energy stores have been depleted. As with the phosphagen system, sufficient rest periods
are needed to return muscle almost to a resting state as this will enable the athlete to acquire
maximal effort on the next major energy expenditure. The levels of rest should be within the
realms of two to six minutes, because even though the glycolysis system deals with explosive
power just like the phosphagen system, the levels are slightly sub-maximal in the glycolysis
training principles. Examples of glycolysis usage in exercise are:
- Wrestling
- UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) training
- 200/400 meter run
- 50/100 meter swimming
Aerobic glycolysis, into the oxidative system, will be in use when enough oxygen is present.
The requirements involve low intensity with long duration, mainly because ATP recovery is very
high. Rest periods are near minimal in these pathways because of the low intensity over a long
period of time. If rest periods are used, they should be in the realm of 0 to 90 seconds, followed
by immediate return to the exercise. Examples of oxidative usage in exercise are:
- Distance or marathon running
- Cross country skiing
understanding and Application of the Systems to Training
Applying energy systems to some sports can become quite complicated. It’s easiest to
look at basic running events first...
100m Sprint
Top athletes run this event regularly under 10 seconds. The Phosphagen energy system
powers a sprinter for most of the race. If you watch a slow motion replay of a 100m sprinter,
you will notice that their respirations are low or even non-existent during the sprint. With pursed
lips, their face is a picture of concentration, and all of their energy production is from anaerobic
processes that occur without oxygen.
800m Run
Just as with the 100m, an athlete is powered by the Phosphagen energy system for the
first few seconds of the race. As the athlete is not running at maximal intensity, the stores of ATP
will last a few seconds longer. Anaerobic Glycolysis then predominates for the rest of the race,