Question

'Oxygen debt' is amount of oxygen required for

• A. Muscle contraction
• B. Muscle twiching
• C. Muscle recovery
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is C Muscle recovery

Oxygen debt is a temporary oxygen shortage in the body tissues arising from exercise. During muscular exercise, blood vessels in muscles dilate and blood flow is increased in order to increase the available oxygen supply. Up to a point, the available oxygen is sufficient to meet the energy needs of the body. However, when muscular exertion is very great, oxygen cannot be supplied to the muscle fibres fast enough. During such periods, additional ATP is generated by anaerobic glycolysis. Here, the pyruvic acid is converted to lactic acid, which is transported to the liver to be converted into glucose or glycogen. Once, adequate oxygen is available, lactic acid must be catabolized completely into carbon dioxide and water. After exercise has stopped, extra oxygen is required to metabolize lactic acid, replenish ATP, phosphocreatine, and glycogen.
This additional oxygen that must be taken into the body after vigorous exercise to restore all systems to their normal states is oxygen debt.
So, the correct answer is option C.