When you swim at a steady pace, your body relies on its aerobic system to produce energy. Eventually the energy from that system is depleted, and you switch to the anaerobic system. This crossover of energy systems is known as the anaerobic...
Anaerobic threshold is best described as your maximum level of exertion. Also referred to as lactate threshold, it's the point when your muscles produce more lactic acid than can be removed by the body. As soon as you reach this threshold, it...
The anaerobic threshold (AT) is an indication of your cardiovascular fitness level. The higher your AT, the greater the efficiency of your cardio respiratory system, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Your AT indicates...
Anaerobic threshold heart rate is the level at which your body stops burning fat and begins burning glycogen. Anaerobic exercise is extremely intense, often around 80 to 90 percent of a person's maximum heart rate. Anaerobic exercise is usually...
Calculate your anaerobic threshold--the maximum you want your heart rate--during physical activity. Your anaerobic threshold is the point where your body can no longer remove lactic acid from the working muscles quick enough. Work out below this...
Anaerobic means without oxygen. During anaerobic exercise your body does not use oxygen to supply energy to your muscles. Instead your body uses other sources of energy such as creatine phosphate that is in your muscles. Anaerobic exercise is...
If you are new to exercising, you may find maintaining an exercise program challenging, particularly if you become sore or fatigued from your workouts. Fatigue is normal, especially at first, and has its benefits. Hitting the point of fatigue will...
Physical activities can be categorized as either aerobic or anaerobic depending on the energy source used during the activity. The intensity and duration of the exercise also influence whether an activity is aerobic or anaerobic. Genetics and...
Tired legs are no surprise after any running session, even if you are only moving at a light jog. Even if your legs get tired in the middle of your run, it's just your body responding to the exercise and is perfectly normal. The main culprit is a...
Physical exercise causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up as your muscles require more oxygenated blood to complete the exercise. Your heart rate recovery time is the time it takes, after stopping exercise, for your heart rate to go back...
When exercising at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, your breathing will be very rapid as your cardiovascular system works strenuously to provide enough oxygen and energy to your working muscles. Only the best-conditioned athletes are able to...
Everyone needs to exercise in order to remain healthy, but if you want more than baseline health, you will have to work out harder and more frequently than the average exerciser. For cardio, the Metabolic Assessment Profile, or MAP, can help...
The phrase "aerobic exercise" is fairly commonplace, and may call to mind running, swimming or cycling. However, the word "aerobic" refers to how your body is using its fuel -- it means "with oxygen." Anaerobic respiration, or metabolism, is...
Exercising may not seem like a complicated thing, but in reality there is a lot of science going on inside your body. Aerobic respiration is one of the fundamental principles behind losing weight. Understanding the science behind exercise can help...
The time it takes for your heart rate to return to normal after physical exertion depends on a number of factors. After a minute of quite intense exercise, a typical adult heart rate recovery period may be between 20 and 30 seconds. But the...
Sprint running is one of the most challenging exercise routines available. It requires running as hard as you can for short periods of time, utilizing all your energy and muscle power for short intense bursts. Fortunately, the benefits are worth...
Anaerobic capacity describes your muscles' ability to work under low oxygen conditions. During high-intensity sprints, your circulatory system cannot deliver enough oxygen to your muscle tissue to keep up energy production. Your muscles have to...
To build speed capacity for longer runs, vary your workouts to include speedwork, strength training and endurance work. You need to increase your weekly mileage, practice faster runs or combine the two strategies to increase your distance and...
Your metabolism is the total amount of energy required by your body on a daily basis. If you increase your metabolism and eat less food than you need, any energy short-fall with have to be met by your body-fat stores, which results in weight loss....
Aerobic activity, also known as cardio, means that oxygen is used by the body to create energy. With anaerobic activity, the body does not rely on oxygen to create energy. Both forms are important to overall well-being. Aerobic activity...
Lactic acid, which is produced during strenuous exercise, is both maligned and misunderstood. Although it is commonly blamed for the "burn" you feel with exhaustive exercise, it is hydronium molecules --- not lactic acid --- that cause the pain....
Your heart rate is an excellent measurement of how hard you are exercising on a bicycle. Your heart rate will increase as you pedal harder--such as when you are climbing a hill, riding into the wind or increasing your speed. Your heart rate will...
Getting fit can be a trial-by-fire activity for most people, since each human body is different and responds uniquely to any exercise program. This can lead to frustration when weight doesn't drop, strength doesn't increase, or any other fitness...
The American College of Sports Medicine refers to VO2 max as the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can utilize during an intense workout. VO2 max is just one method used by many athletes to determine and improve their aerobic endurance...
When you want to get faster, use both aerobic and anaerobic training methods to boost your speed. How quickly you finish a race is influenced by your speed endurance, but strength, power, technique and flexibility also play a role in how fast you...
If you've run, biked, swum or lifted weights at high intensity, you're familiar with the sensation of lactic acid flooding your working muscles -- the "burn" that some exercise impresarios and personal trainers exhort you to strive for. Lactic...
Heart rate training is one of the most effective ways to reach weight loss and fitness goals. Heart rate, in combination with perceived exertion, is a targeted way to measure your energy output as you exercise. Each heart rate "zone" uses a...
Watching your heart rate or breathing rate are reliable ways to monitor your exercise intensity. Rating your perceived exertion (RPE) based on your breathing requires no equipment; a simple “talk test” can tell you how hard...
If you exercise, you have probably heard about measuring your heart rate to determine the intensity of your workout. The terms "aerobic" and "anaerobic" describe types of exercise. They also relate to your heart rate, and are the only way to tell...
