On this page, you'll find
extensive
information leading on Homing Pigeons information
and products to help you
on your way to success to find all you need about Racing
Pigeon Loft.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
On this page, you'll find
extensive
information leading on Homing Pigeons information
and products to help you
on your way to success to find all you need about Racing
Pigeon Loft.
As a matter of fact, the very foundations of all modern knowledge of the physiology (refers to the normal chemistry and function) of muscle in many species, including birds, animals and of course, humans, were established by early work conducted by a researcher named Szent-Gyorgyi who used the breast muscles of pigeons in his biochemical experiments. These early investigations by Szent-Gyorgyi ultimately led to the important discovery of the key energy cycle, known as the Krebs Citric Acid Cycle, named for Hans Krebs who also used the breast muscles of pigeons in the universally acclaimed work that led to this major discovery. In summary, because the biochemical steps in the whole process are extremely complex, the work done by Krebs showed that, within cells of the body, in the presence of oxygen, the major fuels, glucose and fat, are metabolised (roughly means "broken down" or "utilised") in the tissues in a stepwise fashion, to the final products, carbon dioxide and water. Through these complex chemical processes to reach the final products of carbon dioxide and water, important chemical by-products are produced along the way as spin-offs in the whole process. One of these very important compounds represents the key to all work, and is called adenosine triphoshate, ATP for short. Thus, the energy for work of any kind -- and in particular the energy for flight, which interests us the most -- is developed in muscle fibres through the production of this very important high-energy compound known as ATP. It is a potent compound that in every-day terms is comparable to the steam that once provided the energy to drive the old railroad locomotives. Regardless of the fuel being used -- fat or glucose -- the main purpose is to produce ATP to supply the energy for the different phases of flight, including the launch, rapid sustained cruising flight, dodging bursts of speed at any time, braking to land, etc.. ATP derives its power from the three -- hence, tri phosphate -- important high- energy phosphate bonds that make up this compound. These three high-energy phosphate bonds provide the energy, delivered through the massive breast muscles, that allows the wings of our birds to beat on an average of about 9.5 times per second during the explosive launch phase of flight, and on an average of about 5.5 times per second at cruising speed for the duration of the training toss or race, however long it might be. (Indeed, the two great breast muscles of the pigeon are so powerful that one of them alone is capable of developing a force about ten times the weight of the bird -- definitely, tremendous power). Through all of this it is significant to realize that it was the pioneering work of Szent-Gyorgyi and Krebs on the breast muscles of pigeons that established the dynamic biochemical foundations of energy production in various species of animals right through to the level of humans. As noted previously, the major fuels used to provide the energy for short or prolonged flight are glucose and fat, and particularly the latter when prolonged flight is required. In the explosive launch phase of flight -- and indeed whenever explosive or dodging bursts of speed are needed during the course of flight -- glycogen, the storage form of glucose in liver and muscle, is metabolised rapidly to glucose in the white muscle of the breast muscles. In turn, the glucose obtained from the breakdown of glycogen is metabolised in the white muscle to produce the ATP needed to provide energy for this rapid action. We strive to provide only quality information, so if there is a specific topic related to Racing Pigeon Loft website that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time. And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our Homing Pigeons website. << Return from Homing Pigeons page, back to Racing Pigeon Loft Home |