We often hear a lot about aerobic or "cardio" exercise and how it improves fitness, reduces one’s risk of lifestyle diseases and helps with weight management. What we hear much less about is another type of cardiovascular exercise known as anaerobic exercise.What is Anaerobic Exercise?While "aerobic" means "with oxygen," anaerobic means "without air" or "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise is short-lasting, high-intensity activity, where your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the oxygen supply available. Anaerobic exercise relies on energy sources that are stored in the muscles and, unlike aerobic exercise, is not dependent on oxygen from (breathing) the air. Examples of anaerobic exercise include: heavy Anaerobic exercise uses your muscles at a high intensity for a short period of time. As a result, it can help:
How Does Anaerobic Exercise Work?When you begin to work out vigorously, there is a temporary shortage of oxygen being delivered to the working muscles. Lactic acid is a by-product of producing energy anaerobically. When lactic acid accumulates at high levels in the blood, it causes muscular fatigue. This is why anaerobic exercises cannot last very long. But with training, the body becomes better equipped to handle lactic acid. Several efficient changes occur that result in decreased production of lactic acid and increased removal of it from the bloodstream. The body also produces "buffers" that delay the onset of fatigue during anaerobic exercise. Studies have shown that with anaerobic training, the muscle’s buffering capacity is increased by 12 to 50 percent. With this increased buffering capacity, more lactic acid can accumulate during high intensity exercise without causing fatigue. How to Add Anaerobic Training to Your
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