Aerobic means utilization of oxygen. So, aerobic exercise or training involves our cardio-respiratory system to produce energy. Here, the amount of oxygen utilized due to respiration is proportionate to energy production. Here, we will focus on the following topics: Sources of aerobic energy in our body, Aerobic training methods, Different aerobic exercises, Benefits of aerobic training and its drawbacks.

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Aerobic training
By Ratnodip Saha
thanks to Swarnali Biswas, Dip Das Chowdhury, Nitika Khan & Arghya Biswas

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What is Aerobic training?
●
Aerobic means utilization of oxygen. So,
aerobic exercise or training involves our cardio-
respiratory system to produce energy. Here, the
amount of oxygen utilized due to respiration is
proportionate to energy production.
●
Here, we will focus on the following topics:
Sources of aerobic energy in our body,
Aerobic training methods, Different aerobic
exercises, Benefits of aerobic training and
its drawbacks.

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Sources of aerobic energy in body
●
In aerobic respiration, food glucose is converted into energy in
presence of oxygen. Here, the derived chemical equation is:
Glucose (C6
H12
O6
) + Oxygen (O2
) Carbon-dioxide 6(CO2
) + Water
6(H2
O) + Energy (ATP)
●
2900 kilo-joule of energy is produced from breakdown of one
glucose molecule and in turn, this energy is used to produce
ATP which is used by various physiological systems of our body.
●
Aerobic energy involves
1. glycolysis
2. oxidative decarboxylation
of pyruvate
3. Krebs cycle
4. oxidative phosphorylation

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Sources of aerobic energy in body
1) Glycolysis: Glycolysis is the first stage of aerobic
respiration and occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell. It
involves the splitting of 1 six-carbon sugar molecule
into 2 three-carbon pyruvate molecules. This process
creates two ATP molecules.
C6
H12
O6
+ 2 ADP + 2 PI + 2 NAD+
→ 2 Pyruvate + 2 ATP + 2 NADH + 2 H+
+ 2 H2
O
2) Formation of Acetyl CoA: Pyruvate is transferred into
the mitochondrial matrix via a protein known as pyruvate
translocase. Here, the pyruvate is combined with
Coenzyme A to release a carbon dioxide molecule and
form acetyl-CoA.
2 (Pyruvate–
+ Coenzyme A + NAD+
→ Acetyl CoA + CO2
+ NADH)

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Sources of aerobic energy in body
3) Krebs cycle: The third step is the citric acid cycle or
Krebs cycle. In this stage, the oxaloacetate combines
with the acetyl-coenzyme A and produces citric acid.
The citric acid cycle undergoes a series of reactions and
produces 2 molecules of carbon dioxide, 1 molecule
of ATP, and reduced forms of NADH and FADH. This
cycle occurs twice per glucose molecule.
4) Oxidative phosphorylation: In this stage, by means of
oxidative phosphorylation, large amounts of ATP
molecules are produced by transferring the electrons from
NADH and FADH.
34 (ADP + PI + NADH + 1/2 O2
+ 2H+
→ ATP + NAD+
+ 2 H2
O)
Thus, a single molecule of glucose produces 30 molecules of ATP, 6 molecules of
CO2
and 6 molecules of H2
O.

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Methods of Aerobic training
A) Continuous training: It is a form of exercise that is
performed at a continuous intensity throughout and doesn’t
involve any rest periods. Continuous training typically involves
aerobic activities such as running, biking, swimming and
rowing. These activities use large muscle groups performing
repetitive movements over a prolonged period of time.
It can be performed at a low, moderate or moderate-high
intensity depending on what an individual wants to achieve
from the training and the current fitness levels.
Rowing

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Methods of Aerobic training
B) Interval training: Interval training is defined as high-intensity
intermittent exercise where exercises of high intensity are
practiced involving regular rest intervals. In this type of
training, a person trains at a high exercise intensity with
minimal fatigue that would normally prove exhausting if done
continuously.
Activities like push ups, pull ups, jump ropes etc. are generally
practiced with regular intervals. It improves aerobic capacity
and helps the individual to exercise for longer and at more
intense levels.
Jump rope

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Different types of aerobic exercise
Indoor Outdoor Indoor or Outdoor
Elliptical trainer Walking Swimming
Indoor rower Cycling Kickboxing
Stair climbing Running Skipping rope or jump rope
Treadmill Cross-country skiing Circuit training
Aerobic dancing Cross-country running Jumping jacks
Jazzercise Nordic walking Water aerobics
Step aerobics Inline skating Jogging
Skateboarding Stair climbing
Rowing
Source:
Wikipedia

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Effects of aerobic exercise in human body
Changes Details
Heart rate (HR) Resting HR decreases with aerobic training and is lower at any given
workload. The maximum HR is unchanged.
Cardiac output (CO) Maximum CO increases, whereas resting CO is stable. Resting SV
increases, with a corresponding decrease in the resting HR.
Maximum oxygen
consumption
With the increase of work rate, oxygen uptake increases linearly.
Above a certain work rate oxygen consumption reaches a plateau (VO2
max). In an average young male, resting oxygen consumption is about
250 ml min−1
and in an athlete oxygen consumption during very high
intensity exercise might reach 5000 ml min−1
.
Stroke volume (SV)
SV increases sharply at exercise onset up to around 40% consequent to
increased blood volume, venous return, and filling pressures according
to the Frank–Starling mechanism.
Ventilation
Ventilation increases abruptly in the initial stages of exercise and is
then followed by a more gradual increase. During exercise, ventilation
might increase from resting values of around 5-6 L min−1
to
>100 L min−1
.

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Health benefits of aerobic exercise
✔ Improves cardiovascular conditioning.
✔ Decreases risk of heart disease.
✔ Lowers blood pressure.
✔ Increases HDL or good cholesterol.
✔ Helps to better control blood sugar.
✔ Assists in weight management and/or weight loss.
✔ Improves lung function.
✔ Decreases resting heart rate.

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Drawbacks of aerobic exercise
✗ Overuse injuries may occur due to repetitive, high-impact
exercise such as distance running.
✗ Not an effective form of fat loss. Beginners may experience a
fast fat loss process but experienced practitioners will combine
scientific diets and anaerobic exercise to get the ideal outcome.
✗ Aerobic exercise may not be as efficient as other exercise
methods for eliciting the same improvements in body
composition, cardiovascular health, and overall health. For
example, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) exercise
has been shown to provide the same benefits in a fraction of
the time spent exercising per week

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