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• Mar 4, 10

• A Question of Intensity

  A question of intensity: Aerobic Training Vs Anaerobic Training

  There is often debate over the topic of aerobic training Vs anaerobic training. Which method is best and when do you use each intensity within a training plan, for me the important aspect is the philosophy of quality over quantity.

  Very few athletes (at various levels of competition) are undertrained, many are over trained and more often than not it is due to the excessive amount of time training at a level of low/moderate aerobic type training in the pursuit of increase levels of fitness. This happens not only in the field of athletic performance but also in the fitness industry. You can walk into any commercial gym around the world and you will notice many individual, running, riding and rowing at low level intensities just accumulating time on their chosen machine in their quest for fitness or fat loss and many wonder why they don’t get the results they are after or why their body shape never changes.

  Basic exercise physiology tell us this:

  Anaerobic training improved the muscles capacity to tolerate the acid that accumulates within them during the process anaerobic glycolysis, which occurs when exercising at high intensities (simply stated is the break down of glucose or gycogen to generate energy which produces pyruvic acid which is converted to lactic acid).

  Lactic acid accumulation is considered a major cause of fatigue during sprint type activities because the H⁺ that dissociates from it is thought to interfere with both metabolism and the contractile process. Buffers (bicarbonate and muscle phosphates) combine with hydrogen to reduce the fibrer’s acidity: thus they can delay the onset of fatigue during anaerobic exercise.

  Some studies have shown that after an eight week anaerobic training program buffering capacity can increase by 12 to 50%. Aerobic training had no effect on buffering potential.

  Anaerobic training improves the ability to perform the task at a high intensity for longer (the muscle-buffering capacity), aerobic training does little to enhance the muscles capacity to tolerate sprint type-high intensity activities. Put simply if we can train at higher intensities for longer this will produce greater results. There are also many positive hormonal responses that contribute to increase results, these hormonal responses  are stimulated through anaerobic exercise.

  Anaerobic training does not only stress the anaerobic energy system, part of the energy needed for anaerobic efforts is derived from oxidative metabolism consequently improving aerobic capacity thus improving both our anaerobic threshold and aerobic capacity.

  Lower intensity exercise does have certain benefits and should not be totally excluded, benefits include; increased capillary density, increased circulation aiding in recovery (active recovery), increase in both size and number of mitochondria (providing a more efficient oxidative metabolism).

  The take home message is this:

  Successful programming requires prescribing the optimal levels of intensity for the individual’s needs and goals; this is the challenge for us as trainers and coaches as every individual responds differently to the same training stress. The ability to individualise training plans to suit the individual, monitor their response to the exercise and adjust program accordingly is what makes you valuable as a trainer and coach, and will guarantee your services are highly sort after.

  For me – Intensity (quality) followed by optimal recovery wins every time.

  • Posted on the 04.03.2010, Permanent Link
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