Back to the full dot-point answer
WAPhysical EducationQuick questions
Unit 3: Factors Affecting Performance
Quick questions on Oxygen uptake and EPOC: WACE Physical Education Studies Unit 3
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is oxygen deficit at the start?Show answer
When exercise begins, the demand for oxygen jumps immediately, but the heart, lungs and circulation take time to increase oxygen delivery to the working muscles. The gap between the oxygen required and the oxygen actually supplied in these first minutes is the oxygen deficit. The shortfall is covered by the anaerobic systems, the ATP-PC system first and then anaerobic glycolysis, which do not need oxygen. On a graph this shows as the demand line being met from below as uptake climbs toward it.
What is ePOC after exercise?Show answer
When exercise stops, oxygen uptake does not drop straight back to resting levels; it stays elevated for a period. This excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), historically called the oxygen debt, is the extra oxygen used during recovery to return the body to its pre-exercise state. The harder and longer the exercise, especially anaerobic work, the larger and longer the EPOC.
Have a question we have not covered?
This dot-point answer is short enough that we have not extracted many short questions yet. Read the full dot-point answer or ask Mo, our study assistant, in the chat for follow ups.