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Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditioning

This is an excerpt from Train Like a Pro by Matthew S Ibrahim.

When it comes to conditioning, we must first understand the three different energy systems at play. Energy systems can be thought of as the three different tanks your body draws from to complete a movement or exercise. Many people are aware of the three systems but think that your body switches between them by shutting off two tanks while one tank turns on. It’s not that simple. Instead, all three of the energy system tanks are usually active to some extent, but based on the duration and intensity of the movement or exercise, one tank is supplying the bulk of the energy while the other two tanks take a back seat. The three energy systems are as follows: phosphagen system (anaerobic alactic system), glycolytic system (anaerobic lactic system), and oxidative system (aerobic system). You can think of the phosphagen system as your immediate source of energy (i.e., activities lasting less than 10 seconds), the glycolytic system as your short-to-moderate term source of energy (i.e., activities lasting predominantly between 10 seconds and 2 minutes), and lastly, the oxidative system as your long-term source of energy (i.e., activities lasting 2 minutes or more). Furthermore, the glycolytic system can be broken down into two subsystems: fast glycolysis (i.e., activities lasting between 10 and 30 seconds) and slow glycolysis (i.e., activities lasting between 30 seconds and 2 minutes).

Let’s break this down even more. Some of the best examples of activities dominated by the phosphagen system are jumping up explosively to dunk a basketball, swinging the bat to hit a home run, taking a slapshot in hockey, sprinting a 40-yard dash, kicking a soccer ball toward the net, or even a powerful serve on the tennis court. Actions such as these are powerful and short-lived and require a period of rest or recovery directly afterward due to the high level of intensity used.

Activities dominated by the glycolytic system include a 500-meter kayak race, 400-meter sprint, and 400-meter swim. These activities require lower levels of power output compared to the phosphagen system, but they must be sustained for a longer period of time (i.e., between 10 seconds and 2 minutes versus less than 10 seconds).

Lastly, activities that draw on the oxidative system are those that take place over an extended period of time, over two minutes. The best example of activities where the oxidative system dominates are longer duration events such as marathon running, triathlon events, and even long distance cycling.

Aerobic conditioning could include activities such as an hour-long jog during which you operate at a low intensity for a long period of time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, anaerobic conditioning could involve 20-yard sprints repeated for six total sets with an adequate amount of time (i.e., 60-90 seconds) of rest in between each set. Both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning are crucial for competitive and non-competitive athletes to keep in their training programs for long-term health and performance. We’ve included all of this within all training programs in this book for you!

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Will Conditioning Lead to a Loss of Muscle Mass, Strength, and Power?

The idea that conditioning works against strength is a common misconception in the worlds of both general fitness and athletic performance. In fact, conditioning is simply part of sports. Watch a professional soccer match. The majority of the athletes can run for upwards of 90+ minutes during each game. Yes, they appear leaner than, for example, an average NFL running back. However, they still possess enough muscle mass to ward off defenders, they’re still strong enough to kick a soccer ball upwards of 85 miles per hour, and they’re still powerful enough to leap a few feet above the field to head the ball into the net. These levels of muscle, strength, and power are on display in many sports where athletes perform conditioning on a weekly basis in their practices and games.

For another example, let’s take a look at ice hockey. Talk about muscle mass, strength, and power. These professional athletes routinely use their muscle mass, especially in their legs, to remain balanced and controlled on skates that are one eighth of an inch thick, their strength to check other players into and off the boards, and their power to take a slapshot upwards of 100 miles per hour. NHL players’ conditioning is on full display each week, again, through a variety of practices, drills, scrimmages, and games. We could go on and on—the point is that it is very unlikely that you’ll lose muscle mass, strength, or power with conditioning, as long as each separate quality is programmed properly with adequate levels of both rest and nutrition. A quality training program factors all these variables in, allowing you as the athlete to make gains across the board without losing anything.

More Excerpts From Train Like a Pro

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