When it comes to improving your conditioning, it helps to have a solid understanding of the roles of each energy system and the 2 sides of the conditioning equation: energy production and energy expenditure.
Power vs. Endurance
Most people focus their conditioning efforts on one side of the equation…trying to produce more energy.
They believe that the more tired they become, the more their conditioning will improve.
However, when fatigue is the main goal, technique and movement efficiency are compromised. This would result in training to expend more energy than necessary. Making yourself more tired won’t necessarily improve your conditioning.
The other side of the equation is energy expenditure where the lowest energy cost for an activity allows you to sustain it for a longer duration. By controlling your technique, pace and energy, you can improve the efficiency of your energy expenditure.
As stated by the world’s leading conditioning expert Joel Jamieson, “your body wasn’t designed to have the fuel efficiency of a Prius and the horsepower of a top fuel dragster.”
As you can see in the image below, as power (rate of energy production) increases, the duration of energy production decreases.
On one end of the spectrum, you would need maximum power to run a world class sprint and on the other end you would need maximum endurance to achieve a world class marathon time.
If (like most of us) your goal isn’t the ultimate end of power or endurance, the key to improving your conditioning is finding the balance between the two within the three energy systems discussed below.
The Three Energy Systems
There are three main energy systems:
- The Aerobic System
- The Anaerobic Lactic System or Glycolytic System
- The Anaerobic Alactic System or Creatine Phospate System
Anaerobic means without oxygen and aerobic refers to the presence of oxygen. The Alactic System has very high power and very low capacity. The Aerobic system is the opposite with very low power and very high capacity. The Lactic or Glycolytic System is sometimes described as “the mushy middle” with both moderate power and capacity.
Using a car analogy, the Alactic System is a dragster, the Aerobic System is a fuel-efficient hybrid and the Lactic System is the family minivan.
Our bodies use carbohydrates and fats for fuel but, using a finance analogy, these are not liquid. Before we can use carbs and fats for fuel, they must be converted into “cash” called ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate).
The chemical reaction splitting ATP and releasing energy also produces acid:
ATP + H2O -> ADP + Pi + H + Energy
The Cost of Energy Production
While there are many features that distinguish the three energy systems, for the purpose of conditioning the one that is of critical importance is how they handle the acid incoming from the breakdown of ATP.
The Anaerobic Alactic System totally absorbs the acid as well as the Aerobic System. However, the Lactic System only absorbs half of the hydrogen ions remaining after the chemical reaction of splitting ATP.
This results in the accumulation of lactic acid which leads to the suck and burn that wrecks your performance. Excessive work using the Glycolytic or Anaerobic Lactic System (common with HIIT training) leads to an accumulation of cellular damage that may result in a lack of energy, accelerated aging and poor health.
Steady state exercise and lower intensity intervals help develop the Aerobic System. This improves the quality and quantity of mitochondria. These mitochondria function as sinks for the incoming acid from the ATP breakdown.
Smart conditioning is training your body to “open the faucets” to the point where the sink fills but doesn’t overflow.
The Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds
The Aerobic Threshold is the point where your anerobic energy systems begin to contribute more to your total energy production (although aerobic energy production remains dominant).
The Anaerobic Threshold is the point at which your mitochondrial sinks can no longer keep up with the incoming acid. While both aerobic and anaerobic systems are still working, all additional energy production at this level of intensity is anaerobic (without oxygen).
Imagine you’re working at a steady pace and slightly increasing the level of intensity every few minutes.
With each incremental increase of intensity, your heart and lungs rev up accordingly.
Eventually you cross the anaerobic threshold – the point at which an increase of intensity results in a disproportional increase for your heart rate and respiration. Across this threshold, lactic acid rapidly accumulates, and performance sharply declines.
If you’ve ever pushed yourself with High Intensity Interval Training, you’ve likely crossed the Anaerobic Threshold due to insufficient rest periods.
World class sprinters and powerlifters take exceptionally long breaks (often as long as 15 minutes) after a maximal burst of power.
This is one of the deeply flawed notions of HIIT as people mistakenly believe they can exert maximum intensity and continually recover in as little as 10 or 20 seconds.
If you’re interested in creating a customized plan to improve your conditioning, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
