Kindly explain each question fully! 1. You have a friend who is a dedicated runn
ID: 207304 • Letter: K
Question
Kindly explain each question fully!
1. You have a friend who is a dedicated runner. Recently, though, this person has decided to become vegetarian for environmental reasons. They have noticed that despite maintaining their total caloric intake, and training regimen, their lactate threshold has decreased (i.e., they start seeing lactate in their blood sooner). In addition, they tire more easily, and their running times have dropped. Afteir consultation with an expert, your friend starts eating more lentils, beans and spinach. Their lactate thresholds go back to normal, as does their athletic performance. a) Biochemically, why would a vegetarian diet be more energy efficient for the environment? b) What is the complete explanation for your friend's decreased lactate threshold and athletic performance? Why did the change in diet help?Explanation / Answer
a) Plants which are in first trophic level in food web convert sunlight to stored it as chemical energy. Herbivores which are in second trophic level in food web convert this chemical energy for their growth. Finally carnivores which are in higher trophic level convert herbivore's stored energy to sustain their growth. During every conversion of this energy roughly 90% energy is lost as heat. So, herbivores gets only 10% available energy from plants. Carnivores which are in third trophic level gets only 1% energy (For eg. if plants gets 100 units energy, herbivores gets 10% of it, that is 10 unit energy & carnivores in the third tropic level 10% of second trophic level, that is 1 unit energy) that are available from plants. So, a vegetarian diet will be more energy efficient for environment as it will minimize the energy loss as heat.
b) In normal scenario body uses O2 to break down glucose for energy. But when O2 level is low lactate is formed & body uses this lactate as energy source. But excess level of lactate can increase the lactic acid level (lactic acidosis). Iron deficiency can cause insufficient O2 transport & ultimately lactic acidosis.
Non-veg food is a great source of iron & easy to absorb compare to vegetable sources. So, sudden change of diet cause iron deficiency which cause lactic acidosis (decrease lactate threshold), which causes muscle fatigue. So, athletic performance is reduced.
Now, lentils, beans & spinach are great sources of iron. So by eating more they can help to reach the desired iron level & ultimately prevent lactic acidosis. So, athletic performance is increased.
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