The deeper you get into the fitness world, the morescience-y termsyouve probably come across.
Take anaerobic exercise, for instance.
Youve probably heard that phrase thrown around, but what does it really mean?
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Just from the word anaerobic, we can deduce that anaerobic exercise isnotaerobic.
But after that, for most of us, things can get a little fuzzy.
Oxygen comes to mind.
Andhigh-intensity interval training (HIIT)is anaerobic, right?
The result: your go-to guide on all things anaerobic.
What does anaerobic exercise really mean?
In the simplest terms, anaerobic exercise is any exercise that doesnt use oxygen as energy.
(In fact, it cant…live.)
It does this through your bodys metabolic energy systems, which helps you convert food to energy.
The two main energy systems are aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.
Throughout the entire day, your body breaks down compounds to release energy and keep things running along.
It does this by breaking down a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce energy.
you might then use that energy to do anything from digesting food toclimbingEverest, Lawton says.
(More on that later!)
Your body will then funnel the resulting energy to whatever needs it.
Whats the difference between aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise?
Both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise need that energy, but they have different ways of generating it.
During aerobic metabolism, your body uses oxygen to break down ATP for energy.
But anaerobic exercise doesnt rely on oxygen to access that energy.
Instead, it breaks down fast-acting compounds (more on that below!)
to get the fuel it needs from that ATP.
It generates energy by burning either fat or carbs:
Unlike aerobic metabolic, anaerobic metabolism tuckers out fast.
But when its going, itsgoing,and it releases a lot of energy.
Its the powerhouse behindsprints, plyometric workouts, true high-intensity training, andheavy weightlifting.
Both have different sources of fuel:
The take-home message?
That said, your metabolism doesnt work on a toggle.
You dont switch from 100% using one energy system to 100% using another one.
In your body, aerobic and anaerobic metabolism are both humming along at all times.
What are the benefits of anaerobic exercise?
The many benefits of using anaerobic metabolism to power your workouts come down to one word: intensity.
Plus, its time efficient.
With interval training, you might gain many of the benefits of long, slow workouts in less time.
Another, not-so-known benefit?
Working each system helps the other get better too.
By performing anaerobic exercise, you actually train your aerobic metabolism.
And the fitter your aerobic system gets, the harder you could work without your anaerobic metabolism giving out.
Regular anaerobic exercise also improves your energy levels, he says.
It increases your body’s ability to store glycogen, giving you more energy during intense physical activity.
Theres a fine line between pushing andpushing too hard.
Similarly, between your high-intensity anaerobic workouts, your body needs rest to refuel andrecover.
The more intense your exercise sessions, the more rest youll need.
In general, perform high-intensity on nonconsecutive daysmeaning, at least 48 hours between HIIT routines.
That way, your body will be ready to go all in for your next max-out workout.
