Understanding and Training Endurance: Aerobic and Anaerobic Systems

Understanding and Training Endurance

Resistance is the ability to sustain effort, with varying intensity, over a prolonged period. To classify resistance, we consider two key concepts: muscle participation and energy production.

Muscle participation refers to the amount of muscle groups involved in the activity:

• General resistance: Involves most muscle groups in activities or exercises.
• Specific resistance: Involves specific muscle groups, such as arms, legs, or abs.

Energy production refers to the system by which the body obtains the necessary oxygen to produce energy in the muscle:

• Aerobic endurance: Occurs when sufficient oxygen reaches the muscle to produce energy.
• Anaerobic resistance: Occurs when the oxygen supply is insufficient for the intensity of the effort, requiring recovery.

Characteristics of Aerobic and Anaerobic Resistance

Anaerobic Alactic

• Lasts less than 30 seconds at very fast, maximum intensity.
• Fuel source: ATP-CP reserves in muscles.
• Limited muscle reserves, suitable for very fast activities of short duration and maximum intensity.

Anaerobic Lactic

• Lasts less than 3 minutes at a rapid pace.
• Intensity: Upper-middle effort.
• Heart rate: +180 bpm.
• Forced respiratory rate, muscle fatigue, heat, and oxygen debt occur.
• Fuel: Liver glycogen-glucose. Lactic acid can accumulate, causing muscle fatigue.

Aerobic Endurance

• Lasts more than 3 minutes at low-medium intensity.
• Heart rate: 160-180 bpm.
• Comfortable respiratory rate, balanced oxygen consumption.
• Fuel: Unlimited ATP production, using glucose, fat, and protein.
• Suitable for long-distance activities.
• Minimal waste products or muscle waste.

Training Systems for Resistance

• Continuous systems: Workouts or exercises performed without breaks.
• Interval systems: Periods of activity interspersed with recovery pauses.
• Mixed systems: Combine features of continuous and interval systems.

General Characteristics for Developing Resistance

• Efforts should be of medium intensity and comfortably sustainable.
• Maintain a heart rate ideally between 140-160 bpm, not exceeding 170 bpm.
• Maintain a normalized respiratory rate.
• Duration should be long, over 20 minutes.
• Aim for a feeling of tiredness at the end.
• Perform the activity 3 or 4 days a week, on alternate days.

Steps to Plan Your Training

1. Define the purpose of training: To improve general resistance.
2. Assess your initial level: Use the Cooper test.
3. Decide on the method of work: Running long periods at an easy average pace, increasing race distances.
4. Increase distance by 30% each day based on the Cooper test result.
5. Create the training program: Monitor and prevent your heart rate from exceeding your capabilities, never passing 180 bpm.
6. Check for improvement: Retake the Cooper test to assess progress.