Geschatte leestijd: 5 minutenFitness consists of five different components: muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness (also known as “cardio”), and body composition. In the Netherlands, most attention is paid to two of these components, namely cardio and strength training.
Strength training includes both muscle strength and muscle endurance, and the difference lies mainly in the way of training (number of repetitions). Strength training is performed to make the muscles and tendons stronger, build muscle mass, and create a proper body posture. Cardio is derived from the Greek word “Kardia,” meaning heart, and is primarily practiced to build endurance and lose weight (burn calories). In a gym, cardio training is mostly done on a stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical machine, stepper, certain group classes, or even in the pool.
What is Cardio-respiratory Training
What we commonly refer to as cardio actually comes from a longer word called cardio-respiratory. This actually stands for a collaboration between two body systems. Both the circulatory system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, and the respiratory system (respiratory system) where the lungs play a major role. Cardio training ensures a more efficient and effective collaboration between these two systems, resulting in improved fitness and health. During Cardio training, the aerobic energy system is mainly active. Better results are generally achieved by someone who is best trained to bring as much oxygen as possible to the (muscle) cells and process them efficiently. Much cardio training therefore ensures that oxygen uptake in the body improves. However, this also depends on the ratio of the different types of muscle fibers that someone naturally has. Some types of muscle fibers (type I, “slow twitch”) are very suitable for cardio. People from successful marathon countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, for example, have proportionally many of these muscle fibers.
Training programs should ideally focus on all five fitness components. The most important for improving health and thus preventing chronic diseases is, however, cardiorespiratory training. With little time, it is therefore wise to choose this type of training.
Misconception: “Cardio Best Method for Losing Weight”
So you mainly do cardio to improve health and endurance. Many, if not most, people, however, do cardio to lose weight. During cardio, indeed, fat is used as the preferred fuel by the body. However, as long as your nutrition is not right, you can do cardio every day to lose the new fat mass. With strength training, you increase muscle mass. This causes the body to need more calories, so if you eat the same amount, you will make less body fat or even break down body fat because you now need more than you get. Depending on the diet and effects of strength training, this may be sufficient to achieve your goals regarding body fat without having to starve yourself or spend every day on the treadmill.
Also read the article: Cardio before or after strength training?
Why Cardio Training?
Although many people do cardio for the wrong reason, cardio does have a great added value. Cardio training is the best training for improving health in general among the five fitness components. In the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, it was stated: For adults, it is recommended to be active for 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity (brisk walking) or 75 minutes per week at a high intensity (jogging, running). More is better, but these are minimum guidelines that should already improve health. In the example of being active for 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity, one should be active for five days, 30 minutes a day. However, this does not have to be half an hour a day in a row because this can also be achieved in a different way. For example, you could also choose to do two 15-minute sessions daily for 5 days a week. You can also choose to divide 150 minutes over 7 days a week. Other examples are possible as long as the 150 minutes per week are achieved.
When to Train Cardio?
Cardio training uses the aerobic energy system. This means that energy is released with the presence of oxygen. Many activities with a long duration and low intensity use this energy system.
To determine the intensity, it is therefore wise to look at your heart rate during cardio training. There are special formulas for calculating what is an ideal heart rate zone for you to train in. This is important because when your heart rate is below your ideal training zone, you achieve little or minimal results.
You determine your training heart rate as follows:
Taking a 25-year-old boy as an example who has a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute:
First, you calculate the maximum training heart rate: (220 – age)
220 – 25 (age) = 195 maximum heart rate
You need the resting heart rate to make a more effective calculation (nobody is the same).
Minimum training heart rate is (60 percent):
195 – 60 (resting heart rate) = 135 * 0.6 (60%) = 81 + 60 (resting heart rate) = 141
Maximum training heart rate is (90 percent):
195 – 60 (resting heart rate) = 135 * 0.9 (90%) = 122 + 60 (resting heart rate) = 182
Determine Personal Level
Here it applies that “minimum” and “maximum” are absolute lower and upper limits. Below 60% is the intensity too low for healthy people to have much effect. Nevertheless, this already appears to have an effect on blood pressure, body fat, and cholesterol. Above 90% can only be sustained for short periods such as in interval training. This can also cause health problems for healthy people and should be built up carefully.
It is therefore important to determine for each person which percentages within these limits are suitable based on their current activity level. So-called non- or low-movers are wise not to train more intensively than up to 70% of the maximum heart rate in the first few weeks. For people who have not regularly moved for a long time at low intensity and, for example, not even walked for more than half an hour a week, it is advisable to start at 50% to 60% of the maximum heart rate.
Also read the article: Is cardio every day healthy or unhealthy?
Benefits of Cardio Training
- Stronger and more efficient heart
- Increased cardiac output, allowing more blood to be transported, thus delivering more oxygen.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases
- Reduced resting heart rate
- Your heart rate is lower during exercise
- Improved lung ventilation
- Strengthening of the respiratory muscles
- Improved oxygen transport
- Reduced cholesterol levels
- Arterial blood pressure decreases
- Blood becomes thinner, reducing the risk of clot formation
- You become better at burning fatty acids, saving muscle glycogen
- Muscles become better at using oxygen
- Lower risk of obesity and diabetes
- Faster metabolism
- Increase in fat-free mass
In addition, cardio training has even more benefits, especially focused on; Better sleep, mental alertness, better resilience to stress, etc.
Summary
What we call “cardio” actually stands for cardiorespiratory training. This training provides positive effects for health and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Cardio training uses the aerobic energy system, and this system is mainly active during activities with a long duration and moderate intensity. Make sure you know what your ideal training zone is with the corresponding heart rates. This is important for improving health (and associated fitness, etc.) in a good and safe way. For adults, it is recommended to be active for 150 minutes per week at moderate intensity or 75 minutes per week at high intensity. More is better, but this amount already has positive effects on health.
References
- Nasm Essentials of Personal Fitness Training
