(03-03-11) Interval training is ideal for boosting athletic performance and health

by Elizabeth Walling


(NaturalNews) Interval training involves alternating short, quick bursts of
intense exercise with slower activities. This type of training uses the
anaerobic system of the body during the high intensity effort and the aerobic
system during the lower intensity intervals. This unique brand of exercise
activates the metabolic systems in the body and improves athletic performance
as well as overall health.

The anaerobic activity in interval training uses energy that is already stored
in the muscles, working without oxygen and producing lactic acid. The aerobic
activity uses oxygen to break down the lactic acid and to convert stored
carbohydrates into the energy needed to perform the activity. This sets the
body to run in high efficiency mode.

Interval training boosts athletic performance because it builds new
capillaries in the body. That makes it easier for the body to take in oxygen
and deliver it to the muscles. Those muscles thereby develop a higher tolerance
to the lactic acid. The heart muscle grows stronger during this process and the
end result is improved performance by the cardiovascular system.

Because interval training is repetitive, the body creates an adaptation
response that helps it to avoid injuries. Athletes can therefore increase the
intensity of their workouts without fear of overtraining because the body is
accustomed to the activities. Another benefit of interval training is that more
calories are burned during the high intensity portion of the workout. Because
the metabolism is raised, the body will begin to burn fat.

Interval training also lowers an athlete`s resting heart rate, allowing him or
her to perform any activity in a more relaxed state. The cardiovascular system
learns to recover faster, too, which allows athletes to push themselves ever
harder. This type of exercise lowers body fat and increases lean muscle.
Finally, interval training increases the body`s oxygen consumption for up to
forty-eight hours after the workout, and that means that calories continue to
burn.

Even non-professional athletes can take advantage of interval training to
improve their levels of fitness, and it is easy to get started on a routine.
One simple workout is sprinting, with a thirty second work interval followed by
a sixty second rest interval. Using a timer, the participant will sprint all
out for thirty seconds and then jog or walk for sixty seconds, repeating the
routine four or five times. This is great cardiovascular interval training that
will greatly contribute to heart health as well as athletic performance.

Further Reading:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Home-Work...

http://www.swing-smarter-baseball-h...

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