Conditioning workouts are designed to maximize your heart and lung capacity, so you’ll be able to really attack your next PB. These workouts enable you to do a large volume of work in a relatively short period of time. And this is achieved predominantly via the use of high intensity training intervals (H.I.I.T.). Why? It stresses both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. And this again leads to performance and health enhancements.
What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic energy system? When training aerobically, your body uses oxygen to synthesize adenosine triphosphate, a special form of energy that powers the body’s cells activities including muscle contraction, protein construction, communication with other cells and taking apart damaged and unused structures. The anaerobic energy pathway, however, doesn’t need oxygen to synthesize ATP but produces lactate instead. Most likely when doing H.I.I.T. your body uses the anaerobic energy pathway. The aerobic system instead plays a vital role in recovering from high intensity exercise in-between the strain – regeneration of phosphocreatine (PCr) as well as augmentation of lactate clearance.
Here’s why H.I.I.T. is so effective:
- It improves your anaerobic and aerobic fitness level.
- High intensity interval training improves maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) as well as postpones your lactate threshold. By continuously pushing yourself to your limit, you train your cells to absorb more oxygen, allowing you to stay within the aerobic energy generation system for longer. This heightens your body’s threshold and means over time you are able to complete more and more exercises before feeling tired experiencing sore muscles.
H.I.I.T. sessions have a great impact on improving body composition just like reducing the amount of body fat and also lead to a better cardiovascular health, greater insulin sensitivity, reductions in blood pressure and enhanced cholesterol profiles.