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Aerobic Metabolism
Energy With Oxygen
We've all heard the word "aerobic," and most of us think of it as a form of exercise. In fact, aerobic is a type of metabolism, the process by which your body breaks down or "burns" stored fuel to create energy. Your body can create energy in one of two ways: aerobically (with oxygen) or anaerobically (without oxygen). For short bursts of energy, your body uses the anaerobic process, but for continuous activity, it uses the aerobic process.
Energy and Aerobics
Our bodies draw energy from the food we eat (which is stored in the body as fat). The bloodstream carries oxygen to cells throughout the body, where it transforms stored food into energy. You can think of food as "fuel" and oxygen as the "match" that releases the energy. The more energy you use, the more oxygen you will need to release it. This process of using oxygen to release energy is called aerobic metabolism.
Improving Oxygen Supply
Improving the body's ability to process and deliver oxygen may improve stamina - not only in sports but also in any activity. To do this, you need to strengthen and condition your heart - the muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Like any muscle, the heart can grow stronger and more efficient by progressive "training" in which demand (in this case, oxygen demand) is gradually increased. The normal heart pumps approximately 70 times a minute or approximately fifty thousand beats a day. The well-conditioned heart can beat as few as 40 times a minute or approximately fifty thousand beats a day. In short, the well-conditioned heart conserves energy - it can supply oxygen-rich blood to the body with about half the usual effort.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is the type that progressively places increased demands on the heart, causing it to grow stronger and more efficient. These activities involve steady, continuous motion of the large muscle groups and place a large and continuous energy demand on the heart. Aerobic activities - walking, running, swimming, cycling, etc. - should be intensive enough to raise and sustain your heartbeat to a target heart range or THR (60 - 68% of its maximum capacity) for at least 20 - 30 minutes. To calculate your THR, subtract your age from 220 and multiply your answer by 60% and by 80%. The two figures represent your safest range of heartbeats per minute during exercise. For optimum benefits, you should exercise within your THR for at least 20 - 30 minutes a minimum of 3 times per week.
Aerobic Energy
To get the competitive edge in sports and to improve overall stamina and endurance, aerobic fitness is crucial. Combined with anaerobic, muscle conditioning exercises, aerobics are a key part of any total fitness plan. The more oxygen you can process, the more energy you can put out. When you think of aerobics, think energy!