What is Glucagon?

Introduction Glucagon is a peptide hormone, produced by alpha cells of the pancreas. It raises the concentration of glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream and is considered to be the main catabolic hormone of the body. It is also used as a medication to treat a number of health conditions. Its effect is opposite… Read More

What is Diuresis?

Introduction Diuresis is the excretion of urine, especially when excessive (polyuria). The term collectively denotes the physiologic processes underpinning increased urine production by the kidneys during maintenance of fluid balance. In healthy people, the drinking of extra water produces mild diuresis to maintain the body water balance. Many people with health issues, such as heart… Read More

What is a Calorie?

Introduction The calorie is a unit of energy that originated from the caloric theory of heat. The large calorie, food calorie, dietary calorie, or kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one litre of water by one degree Celsius (or one kelvin). The small calorie or gram… Read More

What is Lactate Threshold?

Introduction Lactate inflection point (LIP) is the exercise intensity at which the blood concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to increase rapidly. It is often expressed as 85% of maximum heart rate or 75% of maximum oxygen intake. When exercising at or below the lactate threshold, any lactate produced by the muscles is removed… Read More

What is Aerobic Conditioning?

Introduction Aerobic conditioning is a process whereby the heart and lungs are trained to pump blood more efficiently, allowing more oxygen to be delivered to muscles and organs. The skeletal muscles also become aerobically conditioned, as regular aerobic exercise produces a shift in muscle fibres from more type II (fast twitch/glycolytic) into more type I… Read More

What is Anaerobic Exercise?

Introduction Anaerobic exercise is a type of exercise that breaks down glucose in the body without using oxygen; anaerobic means “without oxygen”. In practical terms, this means that anaerobic exercise is more intense, but shorter in duration than aerobic exercise. The biochemistry of anaerobic exercise involves a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is converted… Read More

What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S)?

Introduction Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) is a syndrome in which disordered eating (or low energy availability), amenorrhoea/oligomenorrhoea (in women), and decreased bone mineral density (osteoporosis and osteopenia) are present. It is caused by eating too little food to support the amount of energy being expended by an athlete, often at the urging of… Read More