AEROBIC COMPETITIVE TYPES EXPLAINED

ARE YOU THE WINNER?

In the world of aerobic and ultra-aerobic competitive sports (running, swimming, cycling, etc.), especially while addressing olympic sports, each event might depend more on a specific aerobic fitness component, also known as a cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) component. We generally distinct between aerobic power and aerobic endurance as the two main cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) components.

The computability of an athlete to a certain aerobic competitive sport, as defined by the distance and pace of movement required to compete, is mainly determined by their maximal relevant aerobic capacity (RVO2max) and how "early" or "late" their anaerobic threshold occurs. Some aerobic competitive sports required a greater RVO2max to win, while others require a more delayed anaerobic threshold.

We can further divide the distances competed in to short aerobic competitive distances and medium-long aerobic competitive distances. Traditionally, competitive activities of 1.5-5 kilometers (1 - 3 miles) are considered short distances (on a relative scale) while 10 - 20 kilometers (6.2 - 12.4 miles) competitive activities are regarded as medium-long distances, and distances above 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) are regarded as long distance competitive activities; Though definitions tend to be a bit fluid and flexible. Any distance beyond a marathon is considered an ultra-aerobic competition, the Tour de France arguably being the toughest endurance event on the planet covering more than 2,115 miles (3,405.15 kilometers) over 21 days.

The length of time that tissue, especially skeletal muscle, must battle and cope with acidity, tension, and other negative influencers of sports performance, is a prime determinant of which aerobic fitness component is needed more in order to win the competition. Shorter distance aerobic competitive sports are based more on the person's maximal aerobic uptake (RVO2max, mL/Kg/min) than their anaerobic threshold, on a relative scale of comparison.

Longer distance aerobic competitive sports are based more on the person's anaerobic threshold than their maximal aerobic uptake (RVO2max, mL/Kg/min), on a relative scale of comparison. The reason this is the principle of the matter is the fact that the ability to buffer and dispose of acids within the active cell, especially skeletal muscles, allows to sustain a person's movement for longer (i.e. aerobic endurance).

During shorter aerobic activities, tissues battle negative influencers of performance for shorter durations, lowering the relative importance of buffering and disposal, compared to medium-long and ultra-aerobic activities. The general dogma relating to oxygen consumption in suspected healthy people and athletes (proven inaccurate in clinical populations) is that a person's VO2max/RVO2max is based on a contribution of the delivery component (cardiac output L/min and Minute Ventilation L/min) of 80%, while oxygen extraction ((A-V)O2diff) has a contribution of 20% to the overall outcome.

The ability to deliver oxygen is considered an ability of the cardiorespiratory system, thus an ability dependent more on the cardiac and pulmonary maximal capacities, while the ability to extract oxygen into skeletal muscle cells, produce aerobic energy within them, buffer acids, and dispose of them, is considered more of a characteristic of the skeletal muscular system.

While maximal oxygen uptake determines when a person's anaerobic threshold occurs, it is a greater determinant of winning in shorter distances than medium-long distances. The anaerobic threshold on the other hand, is a greater determinant of winning in medium-long distances than shorter distances. The fact that these two CRF components play a role in competing, creates four possible competitors that might show up to a competition. The first is the easiest to explain as it is an untrained person, the could participate for fun, gain an experience, learn about the world of aerobic competition, and more, yet will not win.

The second aerobic competitor type is a person with a high oxygen consumption capacity (high VO2max/RVO2max) and relatively early anaerobic threshold. This person is a better contender for short aerobic distance competitions, since their relatively early anaerobic threshold does not support prolonged aerobic endurance, yet their high oxygen consumption capacity allows moving fast for shorter durations.

The third aerobic competitor type is a person with a medium - high oxygen consumption capacity (medium-high VO2max/RVO2max) and relatively delayed anaerobic threshold. This person is a better contender for medium - long aerobic distance competitions, since their relatively delayed anaerobic threshold supports prolonged aerobic endurance, and their medium - high oxygen consumption capacity allows moving relatively fast for medium - long durations.

The forth aerobic competitor type is the person that no competitor likes, and no competitor wants to meet during competition. With a very high oxygen consumption capacity (very high VO2max/RVO2max) and very delayed anaerobic threshold, this person could compete and win in all aerobic distances, since they do not have any apparent physiological limitations on a relative scale of comparison to the other aerobic competitive types. With that said, aerobic athletes do not tend to compete in all distances and event, rather than tend to specialize in a certain distance, and compete in selected events/competitions throughout the year.

Last, we most take into consideration that intensity, physiological effort, energetic cost, and more, of advancing a mile or kilometer is not the same for all modes of advancement. Accordingly, walking differs from running, that differs from cycling, the differs from swimming, etc. Often, we consider swimming to be four times the effort compared to walking at the same intensity (%) for the same duration. In addition, the environment can be significantly different, changing the overall physical challenge dramatically due to the terrain itself, friction, slopes, local weather conditions, barometric pressure, humidity, temperature, and more.

Pumpy & Pumpina children's book by Dr. Moran Sciamama Saghiv. Meant for children ages 2-5.

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