Aerobic and anaerobic exercise: difference, effects and influence on weight loss

Reducing body fat is a normal part of lifestyle. However, dietary modification, a moderate calorie deficit and physical activity are necessary if we want weight loss to be healthy and effective.

Is aerobic or anaerobic exercise more suitable for weight loss and body shaping? Or rather a combination of both? Differences, types of sports, HIIT training, heart rate and many other interesting information can be found in the article.

Heart rate (an indicator of training intensity)

Heart rate is the number of beats the heart makes in 1 minute and is thus a useful tool in training. Heart rate is a reliable indicator of the intensity of physical activity.

The pulse or pulse is the pressure wave caused by the contraction of the heart chamber, which propagates through the aorta and then through the blood vessels to the whole body.

It is ideal to measure your heart rate from time to time during your workout. A smart sports watch can be very helpful in this respect, which will show you, among other things, the value of your pulse.

It is recommended to calculate your maximum heart rate.
The basic formula for calculating your maximum heart rate is a heart rate of 220 minus your current age.

Calculator.

Aerobic exercise (cardio training)

Aerobic exercise is an activity that promotes the circulation of oxygen in the blood and is associated with increased respiratory rate. Aerobic exercise involves endurance activities with low to moderate exertion.

Aerobic training is also called cardio training. Activities in which aerobic type of exercise predominates are mainly fast walking, running, dancing, swimming, badminton, cycling and others.

Movement activities from the aerobic category of exercise are very useful in weight loss. They strengthen the blood walls and lung capacity. They have a beneficial effect on energy metabolism and the musculoskeletal system.

The effect of aerobic exercises is useful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term.

For exercise to be aerobic, we need to maintain a heart rate at approximately 60-70% of the calculated maximum heart rate.

Aerobic training is the most suitable variant of exercise for burning calories. In the first phase of training, the body gets energy from sugars and then switches to fats (lipids) - the energy store.

If you want to get rid of extra pounds, be sure to include aerobic training/sport in your physical activities.

Example of aerobic activities:

• Brisk walking
• Running (not sprinting)
• Swimming
• Skating
• Cycling
• Badminton
• Table tennis
• Aerobics
• Dance (zumba)

Benefits of aerobic exercise

Aerobic activity is very beneficial for promoting lung capacity, speeding up energy metabolism, burning fat, supporting the cardiovascular system and oxygenating the whole body.

It builds endurance, fitness and strengthens the immune system. Long-term effects include improving sleep quality, preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing stress and inducing a good mood.

Disadvantages of aerobic exercise

Aerobic activity does not serve to build muscle mass and shape the "curves of the body".

If you want to lose fat and sculpt your physique at the same time, cardio training will not help you in firming your muscles. While it is effective for burning body fat, it does not help much in building muscles.

Running or swimming do not have much effect on muscle growth compared to weight training or anaerobic activity.

The downside is that aerobic activity can also burn muscle mass. However, this effect mainly increases with the length of the workout and the load.

With regular aerobic exercise, large muscles are not as necessary and therefore the body has no reason to maintain them.

Anaerobic exercise (strength training)

Anaerobic exercise consists of short-term, high-impact activities that do not require large amounts of oxygen. The main goal is to improve muscle strength, conditioning and build muscle mass.

It consists of shorter but more intense exercises in which the oxygen consumption does not exceed the oxygen supply. In this case, the required amount of oxygen is not delivered to all muscles and an oxygen debt is created.

The muscles compensate for the lack of oxygen from carbohydrates (sugars).

In anaerobic training, you exercise at a high heart rate, approximately 80% of your maximum heart rate.

This is mainly strength training with weights (initially with your own weight), but also sprinting (short runs), spinning or weight training. Anaerobic exercise is mainly exercise with weights and is performed in sets and repetitions.

It involves working against an element that puts resistance - an example is a weight or resistance rubber.

Benefits of anaerobic exercise

The use of weights, whether in the gym or at home, strengthens the physique, shapes the 'curves', by strengthening the muscles.

However, it also has its place in weight loss and energy burning, not only during exercise but also for a period of time after exercise. It promotes coordination and stability of the body and helps maintain bone strength and density.

Disadvantages of anaerobic exercise

Body weight may stagnate due to an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in fat. Therefore, someone may feel that they are not achieving the desired results.

Weight in this case is not such an important figure, and therefore progressive photos or measurements should be monitored in particular.

The downside is probably the lower amount of calories (energy) burned, which tends to be higher after a longer cardio workout.

Combination of aerobic and anaerobic training

The goal of losing weight from subcutaneous fat will be supported by aerobic training. Conversely, anaerobic activities will help in building and shaping muscles and take care of the resulting aesthetic effect.

For normal individuals, a happy medium of combining both types of training is appropriate.

The main pillar of weight loss is diet and calorie deficit. It is therefore necessary to know your approximate expenditure and intake. Regular physical activity is beneficial to health, promotes energy (calorie) expenditure and thus creates the resulting aesthetic effect.

Therefore, if you combine dietary modification, cardio training and strength training, you can soon enjoy both health and aesthetic results.

HIIT exercises

The abbreviation HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a form of interval training that involves combining short periods of intense exercise with short phases of rest (or lower intensity exercise).

HIIT stimulates the aerobic and anaerobic systems simultaneously. The aim is to improve fitness, muscular strength and endurance. However, it does not specifically serve to increase muscle mass. An example of HIIT is the tabata exercise programme, where exercises are performed at precise intervals during each round.

Various studies show that HIIT workouts are very effective for weight loss or body fat reduction. Some studies even suggest that HIIT training is a better alternative for burning calories than a stand-alone cardio workout (but it depends on the specific activity and load).