According to Princeton University's Matt Brzycki, oxygen consumption is the best indicator of a person's level of aerobic fitness. The President's Challenge notes that aerobic fitness relates to the heart, blood vessels and lungs delivering oxygen...
Cellular respiration is the act by which living organisms use oxygen to liberate the energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic molecules. This energy is used to synthesize a molecule known as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP for short, which...
Intense bouts of exercise triggers a response in the body that elevates your metabolism for up to 48 hours. This increased calorie burning effect after your workout refers to excess post oxygen consumption. Your body increases oxygen utilization...
There are two common uses for stair-climbing machines. The fixed-height stair climbing test is commonly used in a clinical setting to test oxygen consumption; this test is particularly relevant to those who have experienced trauma to their lungs...
Cellular respiration is a metabolic process that allows organisms to utilize energy stored in the chemical bonds of glucose, or sugar. This process involves the consumption of glucose and oxygen, as well as the production of carbon dioxide and...
Part of the way your body adapts to exercise training is through recovery. The stimulus of exercise prompts changes to your physiology so that the next time you exercise, the body can do it more effectively and efficiently. Immediately following...
Both running and swimming provide cardio workouts that burn high amounts of calories for weight control. These activities make significant demands on the body for oxygen and energy. Measuring oxygen consumption is an indirect means of measuring...
Cardiac efficiency is the ratio of work done by the heart to the energy used to perform the work. This measurement is crucial for the diagnosis and management of several cardiac diseases including cardiomyopathy, hypertension and cardiac failure....
The American College of Sports Medicine reports that the elliptical trainer is one of the most popular cardiovascular exercise machines. The elliptical provides a low-impact workout that requires use of the large muscles in the legs. In 2007, the...
Fat burning, technically called fat oxidation, occurs at greater rates when you exercise at lower intensities. Exercising at higher intensities will result in the body using carbohydrates for energy, and you will actually burn less fat. Maximal...
Tracking the duration or frequency of your physical activity is easy, but it's difficult to measure the intensity of your exercise. Intensity refers to the percentage of maximal oxygen consumption, also called VO2 max, that your body uses while...
Oxygen uptake measures how efficient your body is and gives you an assessment of your fitness level. In a clinical setting, you can receive continuous data because of the instruments used to get this figure. For the individual, you will need to...
Exercise and oxygen consumption are directly linked. To meet the demands of increasing exercise intensity, your body must sue more oxygen to produce energy. Exercise research labs often use oxygen consumption to determine how many calories are...
Breathing properly during very strenuous exercise improves performance, burns more fat and prevents hyperventilating or cramping according to Stew Smith, a former Navy Seal and fitness correspondent for Military.com. Strenuous exercise means...
Yoga has helped its practitioners achieve the merging of body and mind that give the discipline its name for thousands of years. Originally intended as a means to create harmony and balance within the body and spirit, yoga also burns a moderate to...
Cardiorespiratory endurance is how effectively your heart, lungs and blood vessels work together to get oxygen to all of your body’s tissues and organs. The amount of oxygen your body uses is referred to as oxygen consumption or VO2, or...
During exercise, you burn more calories than you do at rest because energy is required to power muscle contractions. Once you stop exercising, you also burn more calories, to recover from what you have done during your workout. How many calories...
You may take your lungs for granted, but they actually play a large role in your ability to complete tasks. Your lungs' capacity to take in oxygen will determine how much work you can do, and potentially how healthy you are. If you are an athlete,...
Regular aerobic endurance training provides a number of benefits to body. Exercise can result in a stronger heart, less fatigue during daily activities and weight loss. Endurance exercise performance is directly related to improvements in both the...
Kettlebell training is a mode of training that has gained popularity over the past few years. The kettlebell is an iron sphere that has a handle attached to it. They come in various weights and can be swung or lifted in order to increase stamina...
After a difficult exercise session, your breathing and heart rate may remain elevated for hours afterwards. This phenomenon is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or oxygen debt. After exercise, your metabolism increases to recover...
Beginner runners might initially find themselves huffing and puffing through a run, but with constant training you will be able to run harder and longer with relative ease. Running stresses your body. Your body reacts by making physiological...
It is well documented you will burn significantly more calories while running compared to what you burn at rest or during less demanding physical activities. There is more controversy regarding what happens after your exercise bout. Any elevation...
If you are not a consistent runner, swimmer or cyclist, attempting any one of these activities could quite possibly leave you gasping for air. You may also wonder how it is possible to complete a marathon or a triathlon. With the proper training,...
Professional athletes, casual exercisers and people who work in physically demanding fields often find it beneficial and encouraging to be able to quantify their cardiovascular endurance. A standard measure of fitness level is maximal oxygen...
The body's respiratory rate remains elevated following exercise, a phenomenon known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC. EPOC occurs as the body works to return its systems to homeostasis, or the resting state that preceded...
Bicycling can be an effective method of counting calories. It allows you to burn calories at a predictable rate simply by bicycling at a constant pace. Your calorie expenditure depends on a variety of factors, primarily your heart rate and VO2...
Anaerobic exercise occurs when your body's need for oxygen during exercise outpaces your ability to supply that oxygen to working muscles. This creates what is known as an oxygen deficit. This deficit continues to build until you reach a steady...
Metabolism is the physical and chemical processes within cells that convert food into energy that the body can use. In addition, the metabolism also entails how efficiently the body uses that energy for fuel. Elevating the metabolism burns...
