To clearly understand how anaerobic and aerobic loads differ from each other, one should consider the “chemical basis” of the body’s reactions. This principle is well demonstrated by the processes occurring in the cell during the consumption of food and the release of energy potential from it. In order to “charge” the body burns carbohydrates (glucose), fats and proteins inside the muscle tissue. This both simple and complex process is controlled by special substances – enzymes. At each step, in each cell, tens of hundreds of enzymes of a unique composition and shape are involved.
The main secret of this mechanism is that there is no way to intentionally influence enzymes at the cellular level through food – only through biosynthesis. In other words, healthy enzymes require good nutrition, healthy cells, and natural DNA “activity”. It is in this aspect that we study an- and aerobic physical loads.
How sugar is burned
The breakdown of sugars in the cellular structure of the muscles occurs in 2 steps: first, transformation into pyruvic acid, then decomposition into water and carbon dioxide. In the first stage, the body requires a relatively small amount of oxygen, hence the name: AN-AEROBIC. Enzymatic decomposition in the second stage needs a much larger volume of oxygen, therefore this part of the process is called AEROBIC.
Thus, aerobic exercise can be defined as a type of activity in which the lungs are maximally involved, and cardiac activity is 60-80% of the conditional ceiling. In this exercise corridor, the lungs and heart pump enough oxygen to the muscles to break down glucose into water and carbon dioxide. If the heart activity goes over 80%, the amount of oxygen for such a process is insufficient, and in this case, sugar turns into pyruvate.
In other words, exercises with an intensity greater than 80% of the personal norm are anaerobic. Pyruvate, which is formed in this case, is transformed into lactic acid and deposited in the muscles – hence the so-called feeling of “strengthening”. Suspension of exercise allows you to “breathe” and saturate the muscles with oxygen in order to decompose the raw materials for lactic acid.
How fat is burned during exercise
The enzymatic principle of fat burning is somewhat different from the above – fatty acids in muscles turn into energy. Understanding this process is vital to effective weight loss. The first step in the processing of fatty acids is beta-oxidation, while the second step is identical to the burning of glucose.
The main difference from the decomposition of sugars is that at both stages the body needs quite a lot of oxygen, which means, first of all, aerobic exercise. It has been experimentally proven that anaerobic exercises performed with sufficient intensity can inhibit fat burning. Therefore, cardiac activity during “fat burning” should fluctuate in the range of 65-80% and not higher. In this mode, an additional aspect appears: when “working in”, a large number of enzymes are released in the muscles, which process fat more and more efficiently, allowing you to increase speed / load, while remaining in the aerobic range.
To consolidate, we will schematically repeat: anaerobic exercise-enzymes-sugar breakdown, aerobic exercise-enzymes-fat burning. It is easiest to control these zones by heart rate and breathing. Over time, this feeling appears in every athlete, but at the first stage it is better to exercise under the supervision of a coach with periodic measurements of basic indicators. However, first things first.
Fat burning workouts
Classes with heavy weights are the most significant form of anaerobic exercise. Walking or light jogging can serve as a kind of “antipode”. The main difficulty for the beginner is to understand what to use from the exercises that lie between these two poles. In addition to consulting a trainer, you should focus on breathing – you should ask yourself “how far can I run without choking?”. Full-fledged aerobic exercises can be considered when breathing remains rhythmic and does not go astray, while the load is real and maximum in its range.
It should be remembered that when breathing is short and the pulse is too fast, the enzymes for burning fatty acids do not work, which means that the “weight loss effect” will be almost imperceptible. Experienced trainers use speech tests to analyze the current state, unobtrusively and imperceptibly asking something. This technique is very effective and even necessary, because often those involved do not want to admit to themselves that they are not breathing correctly. This is due to stubbornness and unwillingness to stand out from the general group, sometimes “motor memory”, if a person was seriously involved in sports in his youth.
For the fat burning process to be effective, you need to develop a personal level of exercise intensity and control its limits. With it, your body will not be “loaded”, it will burn fat deposits. An important note: since such deposits are a kind of reserve “for a rainy day”, the body will resist the process, and after burning carbohydrates, it will signal fatigue. On average, this happens after half an hour of training, when all carbohydrate energy reserves are used up. Here comes a very subtle moment when enzymes begin to break down fats, but lactic acid begins to accumulate. Thus, the exercises should be continued after the “carbohydrate stage”, but not brought to real fatigue and “strengthening”.
In good fitness centers, where the process is set “by science”, classes go at a pace close to optimal. If at first it will be difficult, then the coach will make an indulgence for the pull-in period. At the same time, you should control your condition on your own: watch your pulse, do not choke, do not let yourself “filone”. The heart rate, of course, is individual, but you can focus on 120-150 beats. Do not forget that severe fatigue followed by muscle tone is the enemy of fat burning. It is especially difficult to keep track of this moment when swimming, when the muscles work systematically and intensively, and introspection suffers due to “water weightlessness”.
Aerobic training with “gain”
Each session should be made effective and increase the fat burning effect, so you need to follow simple “enhancing” rules. First of all – food: you should not come to training with a full stomach, especially full of complex carbohydrates. You should also avoid snacking during classes; all newfangled energy bars are best left on store shelves where they belong. The room should have adequate ventilation, ideally open air. Endure until the mark of 50-60 minutes, if your physical form allows it. Practice systematically and regularly (without fanaticism and with breaks for force majeure) – three times a week will be enough.
In conclusion, a few words about nutrition: eat enough protein, as muscle tissue is rebuilt under stress and needs building material. Do not forget about vitamins, healthy fruits and vegetables and general moderation in the diet. It is also important to remember that healthy moderation is needed in any business, and an increase in the load on the “big sport” level can bring with it many big problems.