VO2 Max, Aerobic vs. Anaerobic, and Eastern vs. Western

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V02 Max Lab

What the Heck is Max VO₂?
by Cheryl Wagner

Max VO₂ – even the name sounds strangely scientific. You may have thought, "What is it and why should I care?" Here’s a short explanation of what Max VO₂ means and how to find out what yours is.

Oxygen uptake, or the cell’s use of oxygen, rises rapidly during the first few minutes of exercise. If you’re doing "steady-rate" exercise with minimal lactic acid accumulation, your oxygen uptake reaches a plateau after three or four minutes. If your workout gets progressively harder, your oxygen uptake rises in direct proportion to the severity of the exercise – for a while. At some point, the oxygen uptake plateaus with no further increase, even though the workload is still growing. This point is called the maximal oxygen uptake or Max VO₂. Additional exercise above Max VO₂ generally produces lactic acid, resulting in a deterioration of the performance (as anyone who’s gone out too fast in a 200 butterfly knows).

A number of factors affect Max VO₂ including the type of exercise, heredity, conditioning, body composition, gender and age:

Type of Exercise: There are variations in Max VO₂ for various forms of exercise depending on the quantity of muscle mass involved. The restriction of breathing during swimming also affects the amount of oxygen that can be utilized and the Max VO₂ for swimmers. Collegiate swimmers achieved Max VO₂’s that were 11% below their treadmill values although swimmers at the elite level can often equal or exceed their treadmill Max VO₂.

Heredity: The effects of your genes or-- who your parents are, are estimated at 25-40% for Max VO₂ and 50% for maximal heart rate. Genetic makeup plays such an important role in training that some say it’s impossible to predict how an athlete will respond without taking it into consideration.

Conditioning: Conditioning must be considered when measuring Max VO₂. With training, aerobic capacity increases, on average, 6-20%. However, improvements of up to 50% have been observed in some individuals.

Gender: Women generally have Max VO₂ values ranging from 15-20% lower than men. A number of explanations can be given for the differences. Women, on average, have more body fat, and men, because of their higher testosterone levels, have a 10-14% greater concentration of hemoglobin. Body composition (body fat and lean body mass) has such a large impact on Max VO₂ that individual scores are often expressed in terms of body size. Higher hemoglobin in the blood, allows for better oxygen-carrying capacity, giving the athlete an edge in aerobic capacity.

Age: Average figures for aging state that after age 25, Max VO₂ declines steadily at a rate of about 1% per year. However, recent research indicates that staying active can help offset this decline to a considerable extent.

Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise

Speeds Up Metabolism
The more muscle you have, the more calories those muscles will burn throughout the course of the day. Keep building those muscles by performing anaerobic exercises at least 2-4 times each week and you'll get that metabolism revving!

Strengthens Bones
By properly performing your anaerobic exercises, you will increase the density and weight of your bones more than you can with any other type of exercises. While osteoporosis may not be a concern for you now, taking care of your body with the right anaerobic exercises can pay huge dividends for you and your body down the road.

Hardens Joints
It is a very simple rule: build muscle to protect joints. An example of this rule is found when you do squats. Squats are an exercise that “hardens” the knee joint and this happens by building bigger ligaments and muscles. By hardening your joints through anaerobic exercise, you are giving your body an edge against potential injuries.

Increases Your Energy
In order to understand how anaerobic exercise can boost your energy levels, just remember this: muscles store glycogen (sugar) and this energy is called into action when you are performing physically challenging exercises. When you perform your anaerobic exercises, you increase muscle size and ultimately your ability to store energy. Building bigger muscles is the natural way to increase your energy and be healthy in the process.

Increases Sports Performance
Suppose you're a tennis fanatic. Chances are you are always looking for ways to improve your serve and ground strokes. Anaerobic exercises, by working on the strength of the muscle groups in your shoulder, for instance, can have a dramatic impact on your serve and hitting. The same is true for virtually all sports: anaerobic exercises help build muscles that will ultimately help improve your game.

Lowers Blood Sugar
The primary destination for the sugar (glycogen) we consume is the muscle. For people already with an active lifestyle (and who perform anaerobic exercises weekly! -hint, hint), this sugar is either burned immediately or simply stored for future use as fuel. If you are a couch potato or have a less-active lifestyle, then this sugar is turned to fat.

Furthermore, insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, does not work as well for inactive individuals. The result may be an increase in blood sugar levels. Anaerobic exercise is vital to maintaining healthy and steady blood sugar levels.
 

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

The benefits of aerobic exercise to protect the heart are very well known. But exercise is not only beneficial for the heart and muscles. Other benefits of exercise includes:

1.      Better cardiac function: The heart gets more blood per beat. That means that the heart rate is reduced in times of relaxation and during the exercise.

2.      Weight loss: During exercise the body burns fat and as a result the total body fat is reduced.

3.      Improving mental health: Regular exercise releases the endorphins, the natural painkillers of the body, which among other things reduces stress, anxiety and depression.

4.      Helps the immune system: Numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly are less prone to mild viral infections such as colds or flu.

5.      Lowers heart rate and blood pressure: Lowest systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension (high pressure)

6.       Increasing levels of good HDL cholesterol in the blood

7.       Reduces psychological stress, improves mood with more vitality, reduces risk of depression or anxiety

8.      Greater resistance to fatigue

9.      Helps us to sleep better

Types Eastern and Western Exercise

Yoga: founded in India, is one of the most ancient practices of self healing, which teaches the basic principle of mind, body and spirit unity. If the mind is restless and agitated, the health of the body is compromised. Similarly, if the body is in poor health, the mind is affected. One important aspect of yoga is that it increases the flow of prana (life energy.) The blockage of prana through improper diet, lifestyle stressors or imbalances in the mind, body or spirit can lead to illness. Breathing techniques and certain postures remove blockages and improve oxygen intake.

Qigong: This is an ancient exercise founded in the far east that balances and stimulates the flow of “qi” (chee,) meaning life force, along energy pathways. Qigong is said to cultivate inner strength, calmness of the mind and has the capacity to restore the body to its natural state of health. It is very easy to learn and can even be performed by disabled people. Qigong exercises can range from the simple calisthenics-type movements with breath coordination to the more difficult exercises that provide deep relaxation, improve strength and flexibility, burn calories as well as reverse damage done by disease and injuries.

Tai Chi: A slow and unique Chinese system that consists of slow, flowing and continuous movements, which provide vitality and a sense of tranquility. It is gentle yet effective in stretching muscles and providing good blood circulation. It is said that Tai Chi is great for emotional well-being. Tai Chi teaches the mind how to control the body and promotes weight loss when practiced regularly. It is the most popular form of exercise in the world.

Pilates: German-born fitness innovator Joseph H. Pilates (1881-1967) developed the Pilates exercise system in the 1920s. His interest in physical fitness stemmed from a determination to strengthen his own body and improve his health after a sickly childhood. With a background in yoga, Zen meditation, martial arts and other ancient fitness techniques plus some success as a gymnast, diver and boxer, Joseph Pilates devised a unique sequence of movements that worked the mind and muscle in harmony. He fine-tuned his wellness regimen while interned in England during the First World War, claiming it helped him and his fellow internees resist an influenza epidemic. Working as an orderly at an infirmary, he engineered a way to rig springs on hospital beds to offer light resistance exercises to bedridden patients, and thus the seed for Pilates equipment was planted.

After the war, Joseph Pilates moved to New York and with his wife, Clara Pilates, opened up a studio near the New York City Ballet in 1926. It wasn't long before he drew a following with dancers who took to Pilates for its ability to create long, lean muscles and a strong, streamlined physique. Legends Martha Graham and George Balanchine were among his clientele.

The Pilates System had resurgence during the 1990’s and has become a popular form of exercise across the entire world.