The first statement is how I make sense out of the studies that show that interval training does as well as or better than longer-distance, aerobic training. When you're doing intervals, you're automatically working your aerobic energy systems. Presumably enough to cause a training effect. (And perhaps enough that I don't get much additional benefit from extra purely aerobic work, although that's the controversial point.)
So what do you mean when you say that interval training gives the aerobic system a break?
This is how I see it but I don't have a background in physiology or biology.
Since localization is an issue, when you are doing interval work, aerobic activity is occurring in the swimming muscles, and when you are rest on the wall, it is occurring in the liver. So while you are swimming anaerobically, you are at 100% aerobic capacity in those muscles, but while you are resting on the wall, you are not.
So do these breaks prevent the maximization of aerobic capacity? Would one long easy continuous swim improve aerobic capacity? Can hard anaerobic interval training along maximize aerobic capacity?
I am using aerobic capacity to mean something like V02Max not some measure of endurance. When I sprint, I want to use as much oxygen as possible per breath, because that provides considerably more energy than not using oxygen.
My opinion right now is that a long continuous swim would be beneficial to aerobic capacity. It doesn't really matter too much, I lack the willpower to train anaerobic every day anyway so I will just make my easy swims continuous just in case :)
By the way, localization is not something I had considered until I started reading about the need for lactate to be shuttled to the liver. Overall, it makes sense that the entire body is using aerobic energy constantly, either for locomotion or to recover from energy debt, but I was thinking too broadly.
The first statement is how I make sense out of the studies that show that interval training does as well as or better than longer-distance, aerobic training. When you're doing intervals, you're automatically working your aerobic energy systems. Presumably enough to cause a training effect. (And perhaps enough that I don't get much additional benefit from extra purely aerobic work, although that's the controversial point.)
So what do you mean when you say that interval training gives the aerobic system a break?
This is how I see it but I don't have a background in physiology or biology.
Since localization is an issue, when you are doing interval work, aerobic activity is occurring in the swimming muscles, and when you are rest on the wall, it is occurring in the liver. So while you are swimming anaerobically, you are at 100% aerobic capacity in those muscles, but while you are resting on the wall, you are not.
So do these breaks prevent the maximization of aerobic capacity? Would one long easy continuous swim improve aerobic capacity? Can hard anaerobic interval training along maximize aerobic capacity?
I am using aerobic capacity to mean something like V02Max not some measure of endurance. When I sprint, I want to use as much oxygen as possible per breath, because that provides considerably more energy than not using oxygen.
My opinion right now is that a long continuous swim would be beneficial to aerobic capacity. It doesn't really matter too much, I lack the willpower to train anaerobic every day anyway so I will just make my easy swims continuous just in case :)
By the way, localization is not something I had considered until I started reading about the need for lactate to be shuttled to the liver. Overall, it makes sense that the entire body is using aerobic energy constantly, either for locomotion or to recover from energy debt, but I was thinking too broadly.
