L3__What is Aerobic exercising? What is Non-Aerobic exercising?

Carrying on from the previous essay, this essay would help you distinguish aerobic and non-aerobic exercises and also help you reach your fitness goal.

What does “Aerobic” mean?

First off, a common misconception made by many is that aerobic exercise is just exercises that last for a long time. This is correct to some extent but not completely, what mainly determines whether an exercise is aerobic or non-aerobic is its intensity, whereas the duration of the exercise plays a smaller part. For instance, we all know that sports like soccer and basketball requires one to run for a long period of time, so is it aerobic or non-aerobic? The answer is non-aerobic.

The most direct way to determine whether an exercise is aerobic or non-aerobic is to analyze the proportion of different energy supply systems in the body during the exercise. For example, as mentioned before, in basketball, although it requires long periods of running, the main energy supply systems it operates through are ATP-CP and glycolysis systems (both of which are anaerobic systems), this is because it needs to perform a series of explosive movements such as acceleration, transformation, and emergency stops. Although the time for movements such as physical confrontations between players, jumping, and sprinting is short, the intensity of these exercises is extremely high. Therefore, a typical basketball game can be seen as many high-intensity anaerobic exercises mixed with low-intensity aerobic running for long distances.

The authentic definitions of aerobic and anaerobic exercises

Aerobic exercise: Aerobic exercise refers to exercises that primarily rely on the aerobic oxidation system to provide energy to the human body during the process of the exercise. Aerobic exercise is characterized by lower intensity and can be performed for a longer period of time without feeling fatigued. Aerobic exercise typically involves larger muscle groups and include sports such as long-distance running, swimming and cycling.

According to the definition of the American College of Sports Medicine, aerobic exercise refers to "moderate to high-intensity, long duration exercises that can generate a large amount of ATP through the participation of the body’s oxidation system that takes energy mainly from fat and carbohydrates to enable muscles to work. (Reference: American College of Sports Medicine. (2018).) ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.）

Anaerobic exercise: Anaerobic exercise refers to exercises that mainly rely on energy supply systems that do not involve the use of oxygen such as the ATP-CP system and the non-oxygen glycolysis system. These exercises are usually high-intensity and short duration, examples of anaerobic exercises include heavy lifting, sprinting and high jumping.

According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, anaerobic exercise is defined as "high-intensity exercise performed under anaerobic metabolic conditions, with energy primarily derived from non oxidative metabolic pathways such as the ATP-CP system and anaerobic glycolysis". (Reference: Bishop, D.,&Jenkins, D. G. (1996)) The influence of recovery duration on high-intensity exercise performance after oral creatine supplementation. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 10(4), 235-238.）

Below is a chart demonstrating some exercises and the percentages of energy supply systems that they use.

Exercise	Phosphagen(CP-AtP) and glycolysis energy supply%	Oxygen involved glycolysis energy supply%	Oxygen involved fat burning energy supply%
Basketball	85	15	-
Soccer	90	10	-
Gymnastics	90	10	-
50m Swim	98	2	-
100m Swim	80	15	5
200m Swim	30	65	5
1500m Swim	20	40	40
Tennis	70	20	10
100m and 200m sprint	98	2	-
400m run	80	15	5
800m run	30	65	5
1500m run	20	55	25
3000m run	20	40	40
5000m run	10	20	70
10000 run	5	15	80
Marathon	-	5	95

So, what kind of exercise to engage in mainly depends on individual differences in exercise intensity. Everyone's exercise ability is different, so everyone should act according to their abilities, pay attention to appropriate intensity first and then time, and define whether the exercise you are doing is aerobic or anaerobic. We wish everyone to achieve their ideal training goals\^_^/

Sources Cited:

What is Aerobic Exercise?" Healthline, www.healthline.com.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: What’s the Difference?" Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org.

Aerobic Exercise Health Benefits, Examples, and Tips." WebMD, www.webmd.com.

Anaerobic Exercise: Benefits, Examples, and How It Works." Verywell Fit, www.verywellfit.com.