Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: What is the Difference?

Your body has two sources of energy: sugar and fat. Sugar, stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle cells, is the easiest from of energy for your body to use. Glycogen is the bodies preferred source of energy. Fat on the other hand, requires more work/time to be used as energy. Oxygen must be present for your body to burn fat for energy, but not to burn glycogen.

Aerobic respiration uses oxygen as its energy source. Aerobic exercise can be any type of exercise that causes your heart rate to increase, makes you breath harder than normal, but can be sustained for a significant length of time. Examples are activities such as jogging, aerobic classes, biking, and swimming.

In anaerobic exercise, muscles do not receive enough oxygen; they react by burning glycogen in higher quantities than fat. Anaerobic exercise is usually performed in sets requiring intense bursts of energy. Examples of this type of exercise include weight training, sprinting, and plyometrics.

A balanced and effective workout routine is usually a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Both forms of exercise have their own benefits. Aerobic exercises increase endurance, energy and stamina, burn calories for weight loss, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and improve overall health. Anaerobic exercises increase muscle mass and strength, decrease body fat, and raise the basal metabolism causing your body to burn more calories even when at rest.