Running Diary 0034: Aerobic training, the only way to healthier fitness

4 Jan 2014, 26C, cloudy.
Morning clocked 12.2km, and afternoon 18.1km, total 30km+ for today, all under 130bpm, but rather slow, they added up to 4hrs+. But they didn't add any stress to body. After run I still fell fresh, no muscle tension at all. That is a good example of pure aerobic workout. Slow, steady, body highly self-replenished during workout, make no stress to next day run. It was what I advocated. Forget about the pace, speed. It had nothing to do with health. Healthiness could only acieved by consistent excercise.
We should not do anaerobic excercise since it is harmful. We should reduce the intensity as long as sufficient oxygen  could be delievered to muscle cell and fully burns the fuels （sugar and fat）, it is called aerobic exercise. We still could use heart rate as index for it. But below 93% HRmax there is a zone that anaerobic and aerobic mixed together. It falls between 78~93% HRmax. In this zone, oxygen depleted slower than anaerobic, but could last no more than 1.5hrs, thereafter, lactate acid began to accumulate, leaving next few days sore legs. One more thing, the muscle and blood sugar are also easily depleted and could not last longer. The most infamous phenomenon is "hit the wall" during a longer race like marathon.
Below 78% of HRmax is the most promising training zone, pure aerobic zone. The intensity is low enough to have oxygen delievered to every part of the body. Muscle and blood sugar consumed slow, and moreover, because of slow, it make it posdible for body to burn fat as an alrenative source to get energy aside from sugar. It make energy conserving possible, and overcome the "wall". More important, fat storage is much more superior than sugar. Here is the illustration: the total body sugar could only alow one to run ~30km, but even the leanist people, like Jordan (body fat 4%), the fat could last for several 100miles. That is why most ultra runners and Ironman triathletes train under this zone. And Dr Philip Maffetone created a MAF method as endurance training guideline (the training intensity( heart rate) should not exceed 180-age), it is identical to 78% of HRmax. In this zone, the human body is just like hybrid car, could burn both sugar and fat as power source. In 78% of HRmax, the fat/ sugar burning ratio is 40/60. As intensity (HR) drops, the ratio increases. Athlete could develop speed (aerobic speed) in this zone, and it is could cover all races with the marathon distance or less. And it is also the foundation of the training pyramid, it is used to build training base(mileage, muscle endurance, cardiovascular fitness). It will not add stress ot fatigue to body, and help to prevent injury.
For health and fitness improvement, aerobic training has below benefit:
1, Weight control & prevent/cure typeII diabetes. Aerobic zone has more efficient fat burning. Moreover, training in this zone could further develop fat burning effciency and keep burning fat even after workout, buy elevate insulin sensitivity. So it is also the most efficient way to cure type II diabetes.
2, Against aging. It improve blood circulation and bring more nutration to heart, muscles, bones without do harm to them （low intensity）. It develops stronger cardiovascular system with stronger heart, wider blood vessel, and more capillaries beds inside muscle. The muscles degradation by aging will be delayed due to sufficient nutrition supply. So does bone and joints.
3, Built heathier fitness base for life, work, and other sports. Even workout daily （could last 1.5hr daily）, one will still fell fresh, live and work better with more energetic body, unlike high intensity workout make one feel fatigue and might fall to asleep when work or playing with his kids. It build strong physical base for athlete to preform better in other sports.