Cellular Respiration in Baseball

This picture of RIckey Henderson sliding into third base shows how short bursts of energy are necessary in baseball.

As a baseball player, I enjoy analyzing baseball from a scientific point of view. As I thought about baseball earlier today, I realized that cellular respiration plays a huge role in our nation’s pastime.

In the process of cellular respiration, energy gets extracted from food products such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Since humans use aerobic respiration, they require oxygen and glucose, as carbon dioxide, water, and ATP molecules become the products of respiration. In baseball, short bursts of energy are necessary for baserunning (shown above), hitting, fielding, and pitching. This is why many athletes have been known to have crazy diets with large quantities of carbohydrates and proteins because the energy derived from these foods will come in handy during a crucial moment in a game.

Sid

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http://razzball.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/RickeyHeanderson.jpg