When a professional cyclist is competing in the Tour de France, they tap into all three of their energy systems while they are participating in the event. The three energy systems consist of the alactacid system, the lactic acid system (both of these two systems are anaerobic- meaning they do not require the intake of oxygen for the individual to be able to release energy) and the aerobic system (where body needs oxygen to supply it to the working muscles in order to sustain readily body movements). The three energy systems work in conjunction with each other, where the athletes differing intensity will determine the system in which they are using to maximise their performance to increase their chances of winning. The different systems used …show more content…
This particular system only last for a short period of time, that is, when the rider is exerting their maximal intensity levels at a specific time during the race, they tap into this system in order to obtain the short burst of energy their body needs. This explains why the duration of this particular system is very short, as the athlete’s short burst of energy only last for a minimal time as their ATP stores are accumulated by their muscles at a faster rate than which it is being produced. Muscles needing this quick burst of energy could be due to the athlete’s sharp change in intensity. This allows us to see why the Alactacid system’s duration last for only for 10-12 seconds, where the rider is at a current state of maximum intensity (95-100%). This particular system has no by-products, but your body does let off a certain amount of heat (like every other system in your body). When it comes to the race, this system plays a pivotal role in allowing the athlete to exert a short burst of energy which will allow them to take over other riders during the tour de France. The rider will tap into this system when they plan on riding at a high intensity for a specific purpose. During the actual race itself, the rider would tap into this system multiple times throughout the race when at a higher intensity than per usual. For example, a rider would rely on this system when they are sprinting to the finish line or they plan (tactically) to sprint away from the leading pack