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The culprit of muscle fatigue: What is the "hitting the wall" effect and how does it affect your athletic performance?
During exercise, many athletes experience a psychological and physiological limit, a condition known as the "hitting the wall" effect. Whether you are a marathon runner or an athlete doing endurance training, almost everyone has experienced this kind of energy depletion. The occurrence of this condition is closely related to the glycogen reserves in the body. As a small energy reserve, glycogen not only provides immediate energy to the body, but is also a key factor in maintaining continuous exercise.
When glycogen stores in muscles are depleted, the body faces energy starvation, leading to a significant decrease in athletic performance.
What is glycogen?
Glycogen is a multi-branched polysaccharide composed mainly of glucose and is the major energy storage form in mammals, fungi and bacteria. In the human body, glycogen is mainly stored in the liver and skeletal muscles. When we consume carbohydrates, the glucose in the body is stored in the form of glycogen for future use. Typically, the liver stores 100 to 120 grams of glycogen, while skeletal muscle stores can reach more than 400 grams.
The role of glycogen
The function of glycogen is not limited to providing energy, it also plays an important role in blood sugar stability. When the body performs high-intensity exercise, muscle glycogen is quickly mobilized to supply the required energy. After prolonged exercise, glycogen depletion can lead to the "hitting the wall" phenomenon, a process often accompanied by extreme fatigue and a feeling of being unable to continue.
Physiological mechanism of the wall effect
When muscle glycogen stores are depleted, athletes experience a sudden drop in energy. This energy deficiency reduces the muscles' ability to contract, affecting athletic performance. According to research, when performing high-intensity exercise, the ATP in the human body mainly comes from the glycogen in the muscles. After the glycogen is used up, the body begins to rely on fat as an energy source. However, this transition is not fast enough, resulting in the athlete's Feeling unable to continue.
The wall effect not only makes people feel tired, but may also cause athletes to be unable to cope with the next sports challenge with ease.
How to avoid the wall effect?
One of the best ways to effectively avoid the hitting the wall effect is to replenish carbohydrates in time during exercise. Foods with a high glycemic index are quickly converted into blood sugar, helping to replenish energy stores. Additionally, by increasing endurance training and performing dedicated carbohydrate loading, athletes can increase the body's glycogen storage capacity to reduce glycogen depletion during prolonged exercise.
ConclusionIn short, the "hitting the wall" effect is a common sports physiological phenomenon. A detailed understanding of the storage and utilization of glycogen can help athletes better prepare for competitions and training. In order to achieve our sports goals, how can we ensure that we replenish our energy effectively to avoid hitting the wall?
