Aerobic Exercise

Original Editor - Manisha Shrestha

Top Contributors - Manisha Shrestha, Lucinda hampton, Rubi, Rishika Babburu, Kim Jackson and Candace Goh  

Introduction

Aerobic exercise is one of the type of physical exercise which helps in promoting physical fitness and preventing health illness.Aerobic exercise is defined as any form of physical activity that produces an increased heart rate and respiratory volume to meet the oxygen requirements of the activated muscle.The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines aerobic exercise as any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously and is rhythmic in nature.

Aerobic exercises are typically moderate-intensity exercises performed to improve one’s cardiorespiratory fitness and in promoting energy expenditure and fat utilization.As the name suggest these kind of exercises depend primarily on aerobic energy- production i.e. muscle groups activated by this type of exercise rely on aerobic metabolism i.e. using oxygen to extract energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from amino acids, carbohydrates and fatty acids.

Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, dancing, hiking, long distance running,etc.

Effects of aerobic exercises

Aerobic exercises mainly shows effect in health related components of fitness especially cardiovascular endurance and body composition. Physiological effects of aerobic exercises are explained below:

1. Heart rate: Resting HR decreases with aerobic training and is lower at any given workload. The maximum HR is unchanged.
2. Cardiac output:Maximum CO increases, whereas resting CO is stable. Resting SV increases, with a corresponding decrease in the resting HR.
3. Aerobic capacity: Maximal aerobic capacity or maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use per unit of time during strenuous physical exertion at sea level.Maximum aerobic capacity increases with aerobic training. The resting Vo2 is stable, as is the Vo2 at a given workload. The changes are specific to the trained muscles.
4. Stroke volume: SV increases at rest and is maintained at a lower HR, resulting in a lower RPP for a given level of exertion.
5. Myocardial oxygen capacity: Maximum Mvo2 usually does not change, but at a given workload, Mvo2 decreases with training. This reduces episodes of angina.
6. Peripheral vascular resistance (PVR): Aerobic training reduces arterial and arteriolar tone, thereby decreasing cardiac “afterload” and PVR. The reduction in PVR results in a lower RPP and a lower Mvo2 at a given workload and at rest.

These effects helps in following benefits to the body:

• Higher endurance during intense physical activity because of blood volume increase.
• Lungs volume increase
• Cardiac muscle strength
• HDL level increase (the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL decrease reduces the risk of atherosclerosis)
• Emotional stress overcoming and enhancing mental and emotional well being
• Increase bone density.

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1. Aerobic capacity: Maximum aerobic capacity increases with aerobic training. The resting Vo2 is stable, as is the Vo2 at a given workload. The changes are specific to the trained muscles.
2. Cardiac output: Maximum CO increases, whereas resting CO is stable. Resting SV increases, with a corresponding decrease in the resting HR.
3. Heart rate: Resting HR decreases with aerobic training and is lower at any given workload. The maximum HR is unchanged.
4. Stroke volume: SV increases at rest and is maintained at a lower HR, resulting in a lower RPP for a given level of exertion.
5. Myocardial oxygen capacity: Maximum Mvo2 usually does not change, but at a given workload, Mvo2 decreases with training. This reduces episodes of angina.
6. Peripheral vascular resistance (PVR): Aerobic training reduces arterial and arteriolar tone, thereby decreasing cardiac “afterload” and PVR. The reduction in PVR results in a lower RPP and a lower Mvo2 at a given workload and at rest.

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Criterion measures

1. Maximal aerobic power or maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max): It is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can use per unit of time during strenuous physical exertion at sea level.Maximal aerobic power is typically expressed in absolute power as L/min�1 or normalized for body weight as mL/kg�1 /min�
2. peak metabolic equivalents (MET) achieved during the exercise endurance test,

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