Exercises for Aerobic Capacity
Along with helping you losing weight and manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, cardiovascular exercise also can improve your aerobic capacity over time. Aerobic capacity is a measure of the amount of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. The better your physical conditioning, the higher your aerobic capacity.
Improving VO2 Max
Aerobic capacity is also known as VO2 max, and it is expressed by taking a measure of the amount of oxygen you can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight. Cardio training increases your aerobic capacity by making your body more efficient at utilizing available oxygen and by increasing your cardiovascular system's ability to transport oxygen. Notable U.K. track coach Brian Mackenzie claims that increasing the power and efficiency of your cardiovascular system is the determining factor to increasing VO2 max.
Going for a light jog can help you burn calories and reduce stress, but you're not going to experience significant changes in aerobic capacity without increasing the intensity of your workout. According to Mackenzie, you need to exercise between 65 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes at a time to have any noticeable effect on your VO2 max. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
As for which type of exercise is best for increasing aerobic capacity, it really depends on what you're comfortable doing. Swimming, jogging, sprinting and hiking can increase VO2 max, but how effective the exercise is at increasing aerobic capacity depends entirely on its duration and your rate of exertion. A 2012 study conducted by the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment concluded that 4x4min interval training resulted in greater improvements to aerobic capacity compared to long, slow running and shorter sprints. Such interval training consists of running at 87.5 percent of VO2 max for four rounds of four minutes each with three minutes of lighter jogging between rounds.
To get an accurate picture of your rate of exertion during exercise, take your pulse on the inside of your wrist for six seconds and then multiply that number by 10 to find your heart rate. Your perceived rate of exertion may be just as good, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you feel like you're pushing your cardiovascular system, you probably are. The more intense your workouts, the more recovery time you're going to need between them.
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