How understanding your body’s aerobic and anaerobic energy systems can help you train smarter and run better. By Tom Craggs and David Smyth Updated: 16 December 2024. Getty Images.

It’s important to understand that your body does not neatly separate aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Instead, they exist on a continuum and work in tandem to meet the demands of running.

There’s the aerobic energy system, anaerobic lactic system, and anaerobic alactic systems. You may have heard the terms anaerobic and aerobic before, whether at the gym or in your high school ...

You may hear runners or coaches talking about ‘aerobic’ or ‘anaerobic’ training and wonder exactly what it means and how it might be relevant to your training. Below, we explore these terms and ...

Anaerobic means ‘without oxygen’ and it refers to the body producing energy without the use of air. When you’re doing aerobic exercise, you’re relying on oxygen as your main energy source.

Glucose from carbohydrates and fats supply the energy for the aerobic energy system and can supply energy for long periods of time. Carbohydrate food sources include rice, bread, potatoes, bananas ...

Find out the differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, along with the pros, cons, ... but instead uses the energy that’s already stored in your muscles.

Patel H, Alkhawam H, Vittorio TJ, et al. Aerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise Training Effects on the Cardiovascular System. World Journal of Cardiology . February 2017.

Aerobic exercise, also known as “cardio,” involves training that conditions your heart, such as running or cycling. Anaerobic exercise focuses more on strength and power. Engaging in different ...