What is the physiological reason that rest periods are typically longer between intervals during anaerobic workouts than the rest periods during aerobic workouts? I've always taken it for the gospel and understand from doing the workouts that it's easier that way, but I'm sure there is a "real" reason as well. Any explanations would be appreciated.
Rest periods are longer for anaerobic intervals than aerobic intervals because it takes longer for your body to recover and duplicate the same effort again. When you aren't in oxygen debt, its easier to recover and duplicate that exact same effort.
A simple way to look at it is that longer recoveries allow your "anaerobic energy systems" to recharge, effectively making them available for all the repetitions.
Short recoveries effectively force you to rely more heavily on "aerobic energy systems" for all of the repetitions.
Intense running creates imbalances, and a longer recovery allows your body to restore more of the balance.
Depends what you mean by the terms aerobic and anaerobic.
Most people misuse the word anaerobic. If you run 5 x 1000m very fast and you are gasping for breath after each one, that is NOT anaerobic training, it's mostly aerobic, but you may need a much longer recovery than if you ran each one a few seconds slower.
You speak in absolutes. Isn't it all relative?I mean someone said we use anaerobic energy in our sleep, and aerobic energy in 800m runs.When comparing workouts where the rest intervals are different, the aerobic/anaerobic descriptions are relative to the different workouts, and the different systems which are stimulated.
J.O. wrote:
Depends what you mean by the terms aerobic and anaerobic.
Most people misuse the word anaerobic. If you run 5 x 1000m very fast and you are gasping for breath after each one, that is NOT anaerobic training, it's mostly aerobic, but you may need a much longer recovery than if you ran each one a few seconds slower.
I'll explain what I mean with an example.
I've seen that you can turn an aerobic workout into an anaerobic workout by replacing short rest intervals with long rest intervals.
In spite of the fact that the running intensities involved in both sessions can be considered "aerobic", the resulting training effects are different, one being more "aerobic", the other more "anaerobic".
Maybe you see this as a misuse of the terms. I don't see any contradiction, calling a workout anaerobic, even if the intensities are normally considered aerobic.
Aerobic vs anaerobic depends on pace, and no one seems to be referring to pace in this discussion so you can't make claims about what is and isn't anaerobic.
The question asks why, however, given that you're doing an aerobic or anaerobic workout - not asking anyone to define aerobic and anaerobic work. Therefore, rekrunner's original answer is a good one, and there's no need to qualify with definitions.
rekrunner wrote:
I'll explain what I mean with an example.
I've seen that you can turn an aerobic workout into an anaerobic workout by replacing short rest intervals with long rest intervals.
In spite of the fact that the running intensities involved in both sessions can be considered "aerobic", the resulting training effects are different, one being more "aerobic", the other more "anaerobic".
Maybe you see this as a misuse of the terms. I don't see any contradiction, calling a workout anaerobic, even if the intensities are normally considered aerobic.
You don't see a contradiction? So it's ok to talk pseudoscientific nonsense in your book rekrunner?
To answer the OP, anaerobic intervals require more rest primarily to allow the levels of metabolic wastes in the bloodstream and muscle tissue to be reduced. Aerobic intervals do not have high levels of metabolic waste and therefore require less rest.
Also, the goal of aerobic intervals is to run at a particular level (100% vVO2max, for example) for an extended period of time. Reduced rest allows the body to stay at that level for a longer time within the workout framework (i.e. a 40' workout consists of 30' running at the desired pace). Good luck!
The rest period also depends on how efficiently you are running. For example, a fast workout done three hours after a meal might be much less efficient than if an extra hour was allowed for the meal to digest. The extra carbon dioxide exhaled in the less efficient workout (heavier breathing, but slower running) is a sure sign that the runner is working too hard for the pace achieved.
What meal takes more than 3 hours to digest?
I think of aerobic and anaerobic as adjectives, and you are getting the noun wrong.
We call "anaerobic interval training" "anaerobic" because it is training which improves our ability to produce more energy anaerobically. This also allows us to distinguish it between "aerobic interval training", which brings more stamina and endurance.
You want to call 800m races "aerobic", because you are looking at some ratio of the metabolism.
The apparent contradiction comes because you are looking at paces and metabolism, while everyone else is talking about the effect on training of different systems.