In this episode of the Podcast It's a long road we will talk about aerobic and anaerobic capacity. We will refer to terms such as VO2max, lactic acid, anaerobic threshold, but also the importance of Long Runs in our training program.
Hello my friends
Today we will talk about her aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
Depending on the sport you play, train the corresponding skill. Endurance sports are clearly looking for the best possible numbers of aerobic capacity (burning carbohydrates and/or fat in the presence of oxygen). Here, the body of each athlete uses maximum oxygen, so that it has the required energy over a long period of time. Maximum oxygen uptake is widely known by the symbol VO2max and is its most important indicator endurance human's.
The higher the number, the more endurance we have and it is measured in ml per kilogram of body weight. If an athlete is 74 kg and inhales 11 liters of oxygen in one minute and exhales 7 liters, then VO2max is 11-7=4 liters/minute. 4 liters=4,000ml/74 kg=54. So h VO2max of this athlete is 54 which for ages over 40 is considered excellent. The more oxygen an organism uses, the stronger the aerobic metabolism and the greater the vitality of its cells. The cornerstone of good physical condition, of good health, good body and brain function and longevity is a good aerobic system, especially when it is combined with proper diet.
So to find yours maximum oxygen uptake you can do an ergometric which as we have said in an earlier Podcast, now it doesn't cost much and you can only get good if you do it. Of course, to find your own VO2max there is the simple traditional way called Test Cooper. What is this; You can find it very easily on the internet but in a nutshell it is this: In a stage where we know for example that a turn is 400 meters, we will run a total of 12 minutes. From the distance we will travel in meters we will subtract 504.9 and divide the result by 44.73, so what we will find is the maximum oxygen intake.
Of course, if you search a little more on the internet you can find other ways such as for example the formula: VO2 Max = Maximum Heart Rate / Resting Heart Rate x 15.3
In aerobic training reaching her 50 – 60% VO2max, studies have shown that the absence of lactic acid is characteristic. And since we mentioned lactic acid, let's say a few words about anaerobic exercise, concepts that are intertwined with each other.
In essence, aerobic activities are characterized by low intensities and long duration. Walking, leisurely running, h cycling long distance, the swimming, are some of the most popular aerobic activities, where energy is produced in the presence of oxygen and consequently the activity can be continued for a much longer time than in an anaerobic exercise. In contrast, some of the anaerobic exercises where carbohydrates must be converted very quickly by the body into energy to meet the sudden and large energy needs, are weights, sprints, throws and others.
But what is the difference between Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise? Anaerobic exercise uses only glycogen, while aerobic exercise uses both glycogen and fat and thus can be continued for longer. Anaerobic exercise of the two types of muscles we have (fast and slow twitch) mainly uses the fast twitch muscles at very high intensity. Long-distance runners tend to have more developed slow-twitch muscle fibers, while sprinters typically have more fast-twitch muscles. Due to this tension, the body is unable to provide oxygen through the respiratory system, so the anaerobic energy production mechanism is activated, which does not use atmospheric oxygen. This in turn causes the appearance of lactic acid in the blood.
Lactic acid is actually used as fuel for the muscles and is a by-product of metabolism produced by the breakdown of carbohydrates without the use of oxygen. It is necessary for exercise and although many blame many evils on lactic acid, it is not what we should blame when we feel, for example, various muscle pains or have cramps.
The limit at which, during exercise, the production of lactic acid exceeds the rate of its consumption by the muscles is called the anaerobic threshold. A natural consequence is that the amount of lactic acid found in the blood begins to expand beyond a normal level. The more intense the exercise you do, the more carbohydrates you will burn, the more lactic acid you will produce and the muscles will find it difficult to perform a normal contraction, resulting in you not being able to continue the exercise any longer. The Anaerobic Threshold is a highly reliable and powerful predictor of aerobic exercise performance.
In long-distance sports where we run at a relatively more comfortable pace, both systems (aerobic/anaerobic) are used, but with more use of the aerobic mechanism than the anaerobic one. In this case, the lactic acid produced can be easily removed, as a result of which the exercise can be continued with relative ease. As the rate increases, eventually a point is reached where the production of lactic acid, by the anaerobic system, is greater than its removal. At this point lactic acid begins to build up in the bloodstream, making it impossible to continue exercising at that pace.
The anaerobic threshold it is not the same for everyone but with systematic training it can be improved enough so that you will be able to know at what pace you will be able to run in a race. To be able to find exactly where yours is, you will need to take an ergonomic test combined with a blood sample taken during the test. Of course, in an ergometric test you can also get other basic information about the situation you are in, such as, for example, your speed at VO2 max, i.e. vVO2max which will especially help you in your training sessions. Now again if you want to roughly find your own speed at max oxygen consumption then there is a 6 minute test. We simply cover as much distance as we can in this 6 minute period, convert it to minutes/kilometer and thus we have our maximum aerobic speed. Again of course you can find other ways on the internet, but we don't need to mention them now.
Depending on the type, intensity and duration of the exercise, our body activates fat or fat as fuel carbohydrates (sugars), the two main pathways of energy production and to a lesser extent the proteins.
In low-intensity exercise, the main source of energy is fat (slow energy release). When we reach an intensity of approximately 50% of maximum oxygen consumption, then fat and carbohydrates contribute equally to energy production, while when the exercise lasts longer, fat contributes even more and reduces the use of carbohydrates. The cost in this case is a reduction in intensity, because when fat burning takes over, then the rate decreases.
On the first street (glycolysis), the burning of carbohydrates gives glucose which in turn supplies glycogen. Glycolysis can be either aerobic in prolonged low-intensity efforts or anaerobic in short-duration high-intensity efforts. One gram of glucose is 4.2 Kcal. Carbohydrates (sugars) are the easiest form of energy for our body, through glycogen that is stored in the liver and muscles and we find them in various forms such as monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Monosaccharides end in -ose, the main one is glucose and the most important sources are fruit, honey and sweet potato.
Disaccharides are the sugar we all know, but also the lactose found in milk.
Finally, the most important polysaccharides are starch (legumes, vegetables, cereals, fruits, vegetables etc.), glycogen and cellulose (in plants).
Carbohydrates in our diet should cover 50% of the daily intake, with the exception of competition periods where they can reach up to 70% in the last 3 days before the competition. On the day of the match, if possible 3 to 4 hours before a good one carbohydrate meal (a plate of pasta) is all you need. It becomes clear that our body in high-intensity exercises prefers mainly carbohydrates as fuel.
In the second way of energy production we have the burning of fat and we are talking about an aerobic mechanism that is activated in long-term efforts of low intensity. Fat is found abundantly in our body and for this reason it is considered the ideal fuel. So you understand how important their use is for an endurance athlete. One gram of fat is 9 kcal calories. It is good that the fats do not exceed 30% of the total daily calories and that they are of good quality such as olive oil, fish, unprocessed nuts. The improvement in aerobic capacity results in the use of fat as the main fuel rather than carbohydrates.
The best exercise for the development of the above mechanism is the Long Run, where we teach our body to use the abundant fat as fuel and to save on glucose and glycogen. For example and in simple words, what we can achieve with proper and targeted training is if we run at a Chi pace and use 50% carbohydrates and 50% fat after a period we can manage to spend 70% fat and 30% carbohydrates. This means in a nutshell, performance improvement due to fatigue delay. This does not only apply to elite marathoners because fat provides energy to the muscles at a slow rate, which is not convenient for this type of athlete where the goal with proper training is to significantly increase their glycogen stores and use this as the main fuel.
And since I mentioned the Long Runs let's say some things in a little more detail.
Basically, the name itself says it all. The longest training, the most tiring, the most boring but at the same time the most essential and important of all. Especially, for all those who aim for Marathons and long distances, because this way we learn our body to use fat as fuel and at the same time to save on carbohydrates. These types of trainings, in addition to the physical improvement they bring about, help even more in our mental training, since they enforce patience and work on self-control. The big distances they are so demanding and the thoughts and will between continue and give up come so often and so strongly with one trying to dominate the other. It's a mind game with lots of conflicting thoughts and this is where through Long Runs we mentally train ourselves to find clever and manageable ways to outwit both our negative thoughts as well as our physical fatigue. THE pain management and fatigue is another feat since beyond sports activity it also has ramifications and impact on our daily life and in other areas of our lives, making us even more resistant, stubborn and generally stronger.
Usually the Long Run placed at the end of the weekly training session. Mine, for example, are every Sunday. The purpose is to activate the energy production mechanism as best and as efficiently as possible through the burning of fat with the least consumption of glycogen. The heart rate-based intensity zone should range from 60-80% of Maximum Heart Rate. That is, at a relaxed, very relaxed pace for a long period of time with very little physical exertion. This is where we say "The sooner the better".
As for the question of how long a Long Run should be, the answer depends on the event and the stage of preparation you are in. If you are a long distance runner it can reach 5 to 5.30 hours, those of the marathon range from 2.5 to 3.5 hours, the half marathon from 1.5 to 2.5 hours while for distances up to 10 km 1 to 1, 5 o'clock.
Because its duration is long, it is essential to hydrate well and eat as well. This will help you even more to train yourself to eat during the games. The consumption of energy liquids or gels is important because during such long exercises our body is emptied of energy, electrolytes, fat, carbohydrates and other general nutrients. Me, for example, in a 4-hour period Long Run and after tests and recommendations from my coach, I drink specific electrolytes at regular intervals alternating with water, every 20 minutes electrolytes - 20 water. Somewhere in the middle of the training Magnesium and from nutrition every 20-30 minutes 1 small mars or dry papaya or dry date (these alternately) and again somewhere in the middle of the training some gel. When I finish training I will take protein.
THE training in fact, this is the most ideal of all for running with a friend. Because it is done at a very low intensity it is possible that even athletes of different levels can run together. Running at a light pace and being able to chat makes training more interesting and has a very positive effect on her psychology, but also the performance of the athletes. Personally, it has happened to me many times to go alone for a 3- or 4-hour Long Run and to feel great joy when during it I found company and we continued together. I do not understand how long the time has passed, while at the same time I am glad to talk with a friend of mine. Especially once I remember that I changed up to 3 companies and I didn't realize how long the time had passed.
That's it for today, Thank you so much for listening!
Until next time, Be well, be healthy and always do what we love and what makes us feel good.
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