Aerobic Activity and Anaerobic Activity: What Differences?

of the muscles - managed by the nervous system and bound to the bones thanks to the tendons. However, this requires a certain involvement of the respiratory system - which allows the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the blood - and of the cardio-circulatory system - which allows the transport of any factor within the various districts in the body.

The different forms of exercise therefore provide for a different peripheral stimulation and, with it, also central-metabolic. This is why the terms aerobic and anaerobic describe different ways related to the generation of energy in the muscles during training (Daniel Kosich).

But what would be, in practice, the difference between one type of effort and the other from a physiological point of view?

Aerobic indicates the presence of oxygen, while anaerobic its absence.

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Aerobic metabolism "consumes" glucose, fatty acids and amino acids, exploiting the oxygen action. It does not produce waste molecules with a limiting action on performance and the only limiting factor is the availability of glucose. It is the most efficient and long-lasting metabolism; it is fully activated after a few minutes but continues perpetually.

In short, energy is produced aerobically as long as there is sufficient oxygen supplied to the muscles during exercise through the cardiovascular system. The more you are trained aerobically, the greater your ability to carry oxygen.

The anaerobic system provides most of the energy needed for strength training. During rest, but also during moderate effort, your muscles work aerobically, because they consume mostly oxygen. In the range between 50% and "" 85% of maximum capacity, work progressively turns into anaerobic, since the muscles cannot use enough oxygen.

Anaerobic metabolism

Therefore, our skeletal muscles continue to produce energy even when the cardiovascular system is unable to supply enough oxygen to the muscles, generating energy anaerobically, that is, without oxygen. This occurs to satisfy high and / or urgent muscular energy demands, or in hypoxic conditions (reduced oxygen supply with pulmonary ventilation).

Anaerobic metabolism can also be differentiated into two types:

• alactacid with the use of muscle phosphages (adenosine tri phosphate and creatine phosphate) and without the remaining lactic acid (used above all in the expression of maximum strength and pure speed). It is the most effective but has a very limited autonomy (from 0-20 " ) due to exhaustion of substrates.
• lactacid with use of glucose and residual lactic acid (used whenever the previous metabolism, or the aerobic one, are not able to cover the energy demand). It has a considerable effectiveness, directly proportional to the level of activation and therefore to the production of lactic acid, which however is inversely correlated with autonomy (when massively activated, it ranges from 20 "to 2" 30 ").

Alactic anaerobic metabolism is typical of workouts that stimulate the growth of muscle strength and / or speed.

The aerobic one of endurance training. The anaerobic lactacid can integrate both the first and the second, characterizing training of resistant strength or resistance to speed, or endurance efforts beyond the anaerobic threshold.

But how to recognize the anaerobic threshold, that is, when the system shifts from aerobic to markedly anaerobic?

From the sensation of shortness of breath, increased heart and respiratory rate, and a feeling of numbness and reduced muscle contractile capacity - caused by the accumulation of lactic acid.

Kind readers will wonder why we chose to make this "abundant premise; simply because the differences in terms of health benefits between the various activities depend precisely on the biochemical nature of the metabolic processes activated.

basic, with better cardiac efficiency, a more intense capillarization of the muscles involved, an increase in broncho-pulmonary fitness, specialization of the motor units in the oxidative pathway and therefore an increase in mitochondria and the associated enzymes. They improve cholesterol, blood sugar, triglyceridemia and blood pressure. There is a statistical reduction in the risk of metabolic pathologies, atherosclerosis and vascular events. The energy cost is low in the unit of time, but it is possible to extend the effort until obtaining high overall caloric costs. L "EPOC (Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption) is modest and the need for regenerative recovery is equally moderate. The endocrine-psychological anti-stress effect is high;

If the training is basic aerobic but exceeds the anaerobic threshold: all the above effects increase, as long as the training volume remains considerable. The anaerobic lactacid capacities obviously improve. The autonomy is reduced, the EPOC and the need for regenerative recovery between workouts, while the total amount of calories spent is reduced. The endocrine-psychological anti-stress effect remains high;

If the training is anaerobic of medium duration: the more the intensity increases, the lower the volume, the less conspicuous are the adaptations mentioned in point one. The characteristics of anaerobic over-threshold increase, the ability to use glucose and the management of dietary carbohydrates. The use of fat during the session is drastically reduced, EPOC increases, the need for regenerative recovery is increased and the global caloric cost. The endocrine-psychological anti-stress effect is reduced.

If the training is anaerobic of short duration: the prevalence of anaerobic alactacid metabolism takes over. The aerobic adaptations of point 1 do not occur. They improve strength and / or speed, increase muscle trophism and prevent its catabolism (such as occurs with the third age), an excellent maintenance of bone mass is guaranteed, the overall functionality usually benefits - but this depends a lot on the type of exercises chosen and on the basic condition of the person. The anti-stress effect is mainly psychological.

, remember that any motor activity determines:

• Reduction of the risk of death and disability - various reasons;
• Increased efficacy and efficiency of the entire musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons, bones, joints);
• Improvement of the general quality of life;
• Moderation of psychological stress and increase in self-esteem;
• Benefits of an endocrine nature and modulation of normal physiological stimuli (hunger, thirst, sleep, sexual activity, etc.);
• Body recomposition: decrease in fat mass and / or increase in lean mass, depending on the type of activity;

Attention! Weight loss remains a prerogative of dietary management; to physical training it helps but, while supporting it, it cannot replace a targeted diet;

• Aesthetic benefits (of various kinds);
• If well managed, it contributes to the reduction of paramorphisms.

. We are obviously not talking about other morphological facets independent of training, such as height, constitution or morphological type.

The fat mass, on the other hand, in both models should remain rather low - with sometimes considerable differences related to the type of sport.

The cross-country skier tends to be "slender", with tapered and quantitatively modest musculature. Professionals have opposite difficulties than amateurs; that is, they struggle to maintain a sufficient percentage of fat to support the final race.

The gymnast, the lifter or the centometrist, on the other hand, have a more trophic musculature - always with differences linked to the specific activity - but developed mainly in the involved districts.

An Olympic lifter will boast a more or less harmonious development of all districts, a centometrist will show large muscles especially in the lower limbs, while a gymnast specialized in rings will boast a trunk and upper limbs much more powerful than the thighs and calves.

Even professionals of these activities must carefully manage the diet to avoid climbing with body fat.

In summary, "aerobic" sports activity is certainly important for improving general health, but it is also useful for keeping total energy consumption high.

On the other hand, its benefits seem to be maximized by exceeding the anaerobic threshold, which reveals the importance of training at high intensity.

Moreover, in terms of body composition, the only way to increase muscle mass and strength is to engage in alactacid anaerobic activities; as well as to reduce the percentage of fat mass, the only method is to adopt a controlled dietary system.