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The Importance Of Rebalancing Athletes

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Athletes use performance enhancing drugs to overcome physiological challenges that are not normally overcome. In the case of overcoming fatigue, athletes often use stimulants. “Use is made of these stimulants above all to push back the limits of fatigue in the central nervous system and in this way allow the organism to use its autonomous natural reserves” (Howald, 1978). As in any case, if all natural resources are fully used up then the community or organism will perish. Therefore, by using these stimulants athletes are over exerting themselves, and will eventually experience severe exhaustion. Death can even result if the athlete pushes too far enough beyond their natural limits.

Proper nutrition is key to avoiding fatigue. Obtaining
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Each muscle is made up of several individual muscle fibers bound together by connective tissue. Each muscle fiber contracts individually when stimulated, and each fiber fully contracts or it doesn’t contract at all. The smallest unit of a muscle fiber is a sacromere. Sacromeres are made up of actin and myosin filaments. Each sarcomere contracts and requires energy to do so. Like all other bodily functions, muscle contraction requires energy. Contraction requires an energy source of ATP. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate and is made of one adenine molecule, one ribose molecule, and three phosphate molecules. ATP provides energy in many metabolic processes. It is synthesized in the process called glycolysis. Most ATP is produced in the electron transport chain (ETC), which takes place in the mitochondria. After ATP is synthesized it is sent to be used or stored for later use. The basic unit of muscle contraction is the sacromere. The sacromeres are attached at Z lines, made from actin filament. These Z lines give skeletal muscle its striated appearance. In each sacromere, there is an A band, this is where actin and myosin overlap. This overlap is the point of connection when shortening takes place. This shortening is a part of a theory called the Sliding Filament Theory. The Sliding Filament Theory explains how when a muscle is stimulated the
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