How Long Is The Body Capable Of Anaerobic Exercise?

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 therefore shorter in duration compared to aerobic or cardio exercise. Training, genetics and your gender influence the length which you can perform anaerobic exercise.

Anaerobic

Anaerobic exercise is performed in high-intensity bursts and recruits lots of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Consequently, your body cannot supply oxygen to your muscles fast enough during these exercises. It therefore relies on oxygen independent energy systems --- the creatine phosphate system and lactic acid or glycolysis system. When your creatine phosphate stores are depleted, your body resorts to the glycolysis system, which ultimately leads to a buildup of lactic acid or lactate. Lactic acid builds up because your body creates it faster than it can be removed.

Anaerobic Threshold

Once lactic acid builds up, you cannot continue performing anaerobic exercise. This is also referred to as your anaerobic or lactate threshold. Lactic acid inhibits your muscles from contracting effectively, thus causing you to stop exercising. Additional signs indicating you have hit your anaerobic threshold include fatigue, heaviness in your limbs and a burning sensation in your muscles. Your anaerobic threshold or the maximum duration of anaerobic exercise is approximately one to three minutes.

Training

A more efficient cardiorespiratory system means oxygen can get to your muscles more quickly, and you can use the aerobic energy system longer, delaying lactic acid buildup. According to a 2005 University of New Mexico article, increasing your overall training volume and incorporating steady-state and interval workouts into your training improves your anaerobic threshold. Increase your training volume no more than 10 to 20 percent per week until your reach your endurance goal. Steady state means increasing your heart rate, pace and intensity to moderately hard; tempo runs are an example of steady-state workouts. Intervals are a combination of low-intensity, or light, and high-intensity, or hard, training. For example, sprint the straightaways on a track and jog the corners.

Additional Considerations

Although anaerobic exercises are predominantly anaerobic, you still utilize your aerobic energy systems to provide oxygen and energy to your brain and other organs. Performing unfamiliar anaerobic exercises may lead to a decrease in duration due to a lack of training. Women usually have a lower anaerobic threshold compared to men, partially due to less muscle mass. Age may also play a role in anaerobic threshold because you tend to lose muscle mass as you age. Genetics influence your anaerobic threshold as well.