Anaerobic and aerobic training both result in specific, acute, and chronic adaptations. Acute adaptations to both anaerobic and aerobic training include responses, and changes, that occur during and shortly after the training. Chronic adaptations to both anaerobic and aerobic training include changes in the body that occur after numerous training sessions. These changes are longer lasting and continue on after the training sessions. While both anaerobic and aerobic training produce acute and chronic adaptations, the changes between the two types of training are very different in nature. The differences between the adaptations are largely influenced by the metabolic energy pathways used by each type of training (Coburn & Malek, 2012).
The results of anaerobic training concentrate around short duration, high power events, such as sprinting, plyometric jumps, and resistance exercises. The metabolic energy pathways used by anaerobic training include the phosphagen system and glycolysis. Acute adaptations of anaerobic training include muscular, neurological, and endocrine changes. Neurological responses include increases in motor unit recruitment and EMG amplitude. Muscular changes involve increases in hydrogen ion concentrations, ammonia levels, and inorganic phosphate concentrations. There is usually a slight decrease or no change to ATP concentrations. CP and glycogen concentrations decrease. Endocrine changes include increases in the concentrations of epinephrine, cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone (Pike, 2015).
Chronic adaptations to anaerobic training include changes to muscle fiber characteristics, muscle enzymes, muscle substrates, and muscle performance. Structural, body composition, and neurological changes also occur. The changes to muscle fibers include increases in type I & II CSA fibers, and type IIa fibers. There are decreases in type IIx fibers and usually no change to type I fibers. Increases in muscle size, and the number of muscle fibers are also common. Structural changes include increases in bone density, bone mass, and connective tissue strength. Muscle enzyme changes include increases in the absolute levels of glycolytic enzymes, and phosphagen system enzymes. The concentrations of glycolytic enzymes, and phosphagen system enzymes may also increase. Muscle substrate changes include increases in the absolute levels of ATP, and CP. The concentrations of ATP, and CP may also increase. There are usually decreases in ATP, CP, and lactate during exercise. Muscle performance changes include increases in muscle strength, power, and endurance. Body composition changes include a decrease in body fat percentage, with an increase in fat free mass. The metabolic rate usually increases as well. Neurological changes include a decrease in cocontraction, with an increase in motor unit firing rate. There is usually an increase in EMG amplitude during maximal voluntary contraction, and motor unit recruitment. Additional changes in the endocrine, immune, and cardiorespiratory systems promote an increase in force, velocity, and power capabilities (Fitzherbet, 2012).
Aerobic endurance training causes the body to respond to stressors, through a variety of alterations and changes, in numerous physiological processes and systems. The aerobic system is suited for activities that are normally longer in duration, and less intense, than those that require the anaerobic system. Distance running, mud runs, marathons, and triathlons are some examples of activities requiring the aerobic system. Intensity, frequency and duration are key variables that impact the response of the aerobic system. Acute adaptations of aerobic training include cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and endocrine changes. Cardiovascular changes include increases in heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, blood flow to coronary vasculature, skeletal muscle blood flow, mean arterial pressure, hematocrit, and systolic blood pressure. Other adaptations also include decreases in splanchnic blood flow, plasma volume, and total peripheral resistance. Respiratory changes include increases in pulmonary minute ventilation, breathing rate, tidal volume, and the respiratory exchange ratio. Metabolic changes include increases in oxygen consumption, blood lactate, and arteriovenous oxygen difference. There is a decrease in blood PH levels. Endocrine changes include increases in glucagon, catecholamines, and growth hormone. There is a decrease in insulin. Cortisol levels decrease during low to moderate intensity exercise, and increase during moderate to high intensity exercise (Murphy, 2015).
Chronic adaptations to aerobic training include changes to the respiratory system, blood, heart, muscle, bones, metabolism, body composition, and performance. Changes to the respiratory system include increases in respiratory muscle aerobic enzymes, and ventilatory muscle endurance. Changes to the blood include increases in blood, plasma, and red blood cell volumes. Heart changes include increases in coronary arteriole densities, and diameters, left ventricular muscle thickness, and end-diastolic chamber diameter. Sometimes there is also an increase in myocardial capillary density. Metabolism changes include an increase in lactate threshold. Muscle changes include increases in capillary density, myoglobin, mitochondria density, oxidative enzymes, triglyceride stores, and glycogen stores. Sometimes there is an increase in type I fiber cross-sectional areas. Usually, there are no changes to the muscle cross-sectional areas, type IIa, and type IIx fiber cross-sectional areas. Normally, there are no changes or an increase in bone mineral density. Body composition changes include decreases in body fat percentage, fat mass, and overall body mass. There are usually no changes to fat free mass. Performance changes include an increase in cardiorespiratory endurance. There are usually no changes in muscular strength, anaerobic power, vertical jump, and sprint speed (Lewis, 2013).
In order to isolate and enhance certain adaptations to anaerobic and aerobic training, specific exercise programs can be designed. Lactate threshold training is an example of a specific style of training that benefits aerobic performance. Conducting specific training to increase the lactate threshold causes further adaptations to the athlete’s metabolism. Raising an athlete’s lactate threshold allow the body to move further, at a higher intensity level, for longer periods of time. The increased ability of the athlete to maximize lactate clearance increases performance dramatically. A variety of exercise protocols exist where intensity and distance are manipulated during each training session. Over a period of time, these specific adaptions increase the lactate threshold and clearance capability. This ultimately improves aerobic performance (Messonnier, Emhoff, Fattor, Horning, Carlson, & Brooks, 2013).
To isolate and enhance certain, specific adaptations to anaerobic training, specialized plyometric workouts can be designed. This training maximizes the benefits of the stretch shortening cycle. By using different single and double leg plyometric exercises, in a variety of repetition and set schemes, with varying intensity levels, numerous physiological adaptations can be enhanced. This style of specific training has been shown to improve overall power, strength, stored elastic energy, stretch reflex response, motor unit recruitment, muscle fiber size, rates of force production, inhibition of antagonist muscles, activation, and cocontraction of synergistic muscles, and increased Type I and Type II muscle fiber area. By conducting plyometric training numerous, specific, anaerobic adaptations are isolated and enhanced. This improves overall anaerobic performance as well (Luebbers, Potteiger, Hulver, Hyfault, Carper, & Lockwood, 2003).
References:
Coburn, J.W., & Malek, M.H. (2012). NSCA’s essentials of personal training (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Fitzherbet, H. (2012). Chronic adaptations to anaerobic and aerobic training. Prezi. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/w34-ouvi-gzx/chronic-adaptations-to-anaerobic-and-aerobic-training-phyt2001-group-presentation/
Lewis, J. (2013). The body’s response to long term exercise: The respiratory system. Prezi. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/yl0elxrsom3t/the-bodies-response-to-long-term-exercise-the-respiratory-system/
Luebbers, P., Potteiger, J., Hulver, M., Hyfault, J., Carper, M., & Lockwood, R. (2003). Effects of plyometric training and recovery on vertical jump performance and anaerobic power. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew_Hulver/publication/8992729_Effects_of_Plyometric_Training_and_Recovery_on_Vertical_Jump_Performance_and_Anaerobic_Power/links/0deec520d08d225579000000/Effects-of-Plyometric-Training-and-Recovery-on-Vertical-Jump-Performance-and-Anaerobic-Power.pdf
Messonnier, L., Emhoff, C., Fattor, J., Horning, M., Carlson, T., & Brooks, G. (2013). Lactate kinetics at the lactate threshold in trained and untrained men. Journal of Applied Physiology. Retrieved from http://jap.physiology.org/content/114/11/1593.short
Murphy, P. (2015). Endurance training and adaptations of the cardiovascular system. Live Strong. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/351971-endurance-training-and-adaptations-of-the-cardiovascular-system/
Pike, J. (2015). Anaerobic training adaptations. Live Strong. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/442214-anaerobic-training-adaptations/
Eric Dempsey
MS, ISSA Master Trainer
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