Observations:

Trial # Dominant hand (right hand) # of Non-dominant hand (left hand)

squeezes # of squeezes

1 25 14

2 24 10

3 20 8

4 18 7

5 18 7

6 16 6

7 15 5

8 10 4

9 8 4

10 5 3

Discussion:

1. What happened to your energy & ability to pinch the clothespin as you
progressed through each trial? Why?
a. As I proceeded through each try, my energy level and ability to squeeze
the clothespin fluctuated. As lactic acid formed from each attempt, my
energy level decreased. Strenuous activity causes your body's oxygen
supply to be reduced, which prevents the glucose in your blood from being
broken down, resulting in this accumulation. Your hands will become tired
and heavy as a result of the buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, which
causes a "burning" feeling. This pain increased as I moved through each
experiment.
2. What might cause one to be able to get more squeezes, in other words, to
have less fatigue? Explain in terms of biological concepts.
a. By repeating this motion regularly or engaging in an activity that includes
greater use of the hands, one may be able to get more squeezes and feel
less tired. As a result of your enhanced endurance, you'll be able to get
more squeezes. Those who exercise intensely frequently may effectively
 "train" their metabolic systems to depend less on lactate fermentation.
They are therefore accustomed to practicing energy conservation.
Maintaining hydration is another strategy to increase squeezes and
reduce tiredness. Because lactic acid is water soluble, the body can flush
lactic acid out of muscles. As a result, lactic acid's actions take longer to
take effect.
3. Suggest how the amount of ATP produced causes your muscle cells to be
less efficient. When did this change in the amount of ATP produced occur
in this investigation? How could you tell?
a. Calcium ions are released to start muscle contractions. When the linearly
organized sarcomeres and myofibrils shrink as a result of the pull of
myosin heads on the actin filaments, a striated muscle fiber contracts. A
muscle may also stop contracting when it runs out of ATP and becomes
fatigued. A change in ATP concentration was observed following the fourth
experiment. With the sudden increase in squeezes, this is substantial. It
then decreased as a result of the production of lactic acid, which over time
led to tiredness.
4. Your muscles would probably recover enough after 10 minutes to operate
at the original efficiency. Explain why.
a. Since you would be receiving the usual amount of oxygen now that you
are at rest, your muscles would likely return to their prior effectiveness
within ten minutes. Lactate is transformed back to pyruvate when
prolonged, demanding activity, like the kind we engaged in this lab, is
finished. The Kreb's Cycle and the Electron Transport Chain are then used
to further oxidize it. Your body goes through this procedure in order to
repay the "oxygen debt" it owes in order to completely remove lactate
buildup.