Issue 15 | January 2012
Exercise, Energy and Movement
***Articles reviewed and updated in August 2016***
All living things move. Whether it’s a plant growing towards the sun, bacteria swimming away from a toxin or you walking home, anything alive must move to survive. For humans though, movement is more than just survival – we move for fun, to compete and to be healthy. In this issue we look at the biological systems that keep us moving and consider some of the psychological, social and ethical aspects of exercise and sport.
Browse through the individual articles and check out our discussion questions and lesson ideas. We’ve also picked out content from other issues that we think is especially relevant. This issue was first published in 2012; in 2016, all of the individual resources were reviewed and updated for accuracy and currency. Please do note, however, that the PDFs of the original 2012 issue, infographic and poster have not been updated.
Made to move
From four legs to two
Why did humans evolve to be bipedal?
Adjusting to life on two legs
What changed when we began to walk on two legs?
Out of this world
Long-term low gravity can seriously affect the human body
Walk like a man
What steps are involved in walking?
Moving figures infographic
A numerical look at exercise, energy and movement
Muscles and movement
Types of muscle
Our bodies contain three main types of muscle
A closer look at skeletal muscles: muscle fibres
Skeletal muscles are made up of two groups of muscle fibres, adapted for different functions
How do muscles contract?
What causes muscle contractions?
Wasting away
Why diet, injury or a lack of use can all affect your muscles
Involuntary movement
Why do we sometimes move without meaning to?
Making muscles
How to build muscle
Exercise and the heart
The heart is a muscle, which can grow with exercise
Feeling sore
Why might exercise leave us sore?
Animation: Sliding filament theory
Watch or download our animation showing muscle contraction and the sliding filament theory
Bones and the skeleton
Bare bones
A look at what our skeletons do
Video: Bone biomechanics
Watch or download our video of biomechanics expert Dr Sandra Shefelbine as she uses elaborate models and her own body to explain arm movement
Factors affecting bone strength
How can our diet and exercise regimes affect the strength of our bones?
Thinning bones
Age, diet and exercise can contribute to thinning bones
Breaking bones
Even healthy bones can break if exposed to great enough forces
Breathing
Learn to breathe
A look at how breathing is controlled
Take a deep breath
How do we measure how much oxygen we can use?
Step in time
Why feeling the rhythm can help you keep running
Something to say?
Is our move to two legs linked to our ability to speak?
Respiration and energy
Cellular respiration poster
Download a copy of our poster on respiration
Mitochondria
Explore the structure and function of our intracellular energy factories
Glycolysis
Take a look at the opening stages of cellular respiration
Aerobic respiration
A closer look at the reactions following glycolysis, should oxygen be available
Anaerobic respiration
The processes of anaerobic respiration differ between animals and plants
Energy is money
This illustrated analogy uses money to show how bodies store different forms of energy
Fit in mind and body?
Everything in moderation?
What do we need to do to be healthy?
Wearing out
Is the future of bone and cartilage replacement to grow your own?
Under strain
Why extreme exercise can be harmful
Psychology in sport
How your thinking can affect performance
Mental health and exercise
How exercise can change our mental state
Location, location, location
Does it matter where you exercise?
Fitness tests
This video by Tom Warrender of Classroom Medics examines body fat and VO2 max tests
Ethical questions
Performance-enhancing drugs
Explore current and future scenarios around controlled substances in sport
Prosthetics
Exploring current and future scenarios around artificial body parts in sport
Physiological limits
Can we predict an ultimate limit to human performance?
Diet in sport
Exploring a current and future scenario around diet in sport
The placebo in performance
A look at the placebo effect in performance
Fitness fads
A look at different exercises that have become the latest craze in keeping us healthy
Video: Exercise mythbusting
How much should we exercise? Why do muscles get sore? Are fitness drinks worth it? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this short video
Real Voices interviews
Real Voices interview: Dr Jennifer Morgan
Meet Jennifer, a cell biologist at University College London
Real Voices interview: Ellie Simmonds
An interview with Ellie Simmonds – Paralympic swimmer and five-time gold medallist
Real Voices interview: Mark Bawden
Meet Mark, a sports psychologist who has worked with the England cricket team
Activities and lesson ideas
Further resources and activities on exercise
The Wellcome Trust has funded many organisations to produce activities and resources to engage and educate young people about the science of exercise
Fast Facts
Each issue of 'Big Picture' comes with a sprinkling of Fast Facts, fascinating snippets of information on the topic covered.