People often have problems differentiating between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, mainly because they are semantically similar words that are pronounced in a similar way.
Both one type of exercise and another are two totally different types of exercise that involve the use of different types of muscles, fibers and hormones when performing it because they are two types of physical exercise that are really opposite.
The bad thing about not knowing how to differentiate them is that when you go to the gym and train and say what you are training, you could say it in the wrong way, for example saying barbarities like “my favorite anaerobic exercise is going for a run”, which It will certainly lead to some weird conversation and even being laughed at for your lack of knowledge.
In addition to knowing the difference between the two, you will be able to know the key differences when looking for information about a specific type of exercise, since famous YouTube channels often use words of this technical type and you could get confused when interpreting them correctly.
What do you need to differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise?
- Some knowledge of physical exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic.
Instructions to differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise
- Definition of aerobic exercise:
The first thing is to define aerobic exercise, since it is the best known exercise of all and one of the most performed in the world. We define aerobic exercise as any exercise that is performed using oxidizable energy sources, that is, they need oxygen to be used, since the word aerobic means with oxygen. These energy sources are the classic macronutrients, which are fats and carbohydrates. In order to use these sources, the exercise must be of long duration and of low intensity, so that there is always a constant entry of oxygen in our body. Some examples of aerobic exercise are running, biking, dancing, sports such as soccer, dancing, aerobics, and ultimately all cardiovascular exercises. - Definition of anaerobic:
Once we have defined the word aerobic, we must move on to its opposite, that is, anaerobic, in which we are going to explain the differences between one and the other. Anaerobic exercise is defined as all exercise performed with energy sources that do not require oxygen, since the word anaerobic means in the absence of oxygen. Obviously anaerobic exercises are at a very high intensity, in which we cannot breathe, therefore they are also of short duration unlike aerobic exercises that are of long duration and are much longer. The energy sources used are from muscle ATP to creating, passing through lactic acid and glycogen. Some good examples of anaerobic exercise would be weightlifting, sprinting, sprinting, high-intensity interval training (hit), or high-explosive sports like mixed martial arts. - Advantages and uses of aerobic exercise: Aerobic
exercise is normally used to lose body fat and to increase the amount of physical resistance of our body, however, it also has the advantage of being a fun type of exercise, with which you feel very comfortable. Good and it’s also healthy. The drawbacks are that it can catabolize muscle mass (make you lose muscle) and it can slow down your body’s basal metabolism if done too often because the muscle fibers adapt to this type of exercise and become smaller. - Advantages and uses of anaerobic exercise: Anaerobic
exercise is used to gain muscle mass and to increase the basal metabolism of our body, however, it can also help lose fat if performed at a very high intensity. The drawback is that they are very hard exercises with which we could suffer a risk of heart attack due to the great intensity with which they are performed and we will finish the exercise very tired in a short time due to their great intensity.
Tips to differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise
- Which is better: This is a peculiar question, since it causes a lot of controversy when it comes to saying which is better. My answer is that it depends on your goals, since wanting to define is not the same as wanting to gain muscle mass.
- If you want to get muscular: Anaerobic exercise is good and anaerobic exercise is bad.
- If you want to gain endurance: Both exercises are good, as one gives you endurance over long distances and the other endurance over short distances, however, anaerobic exercise can make running long distances run out of energy too quickly.
- If you want to lose fat: Here both are always good, even the anaerobic one is better because it does not lower the basal metabolism. The aerobic one is always good if it is done in the correct way (2 or 3 times a week without going over).
