What is Anaerobic Metabolism?

Anaerobic metabolism is a chemical and physiological process where the body makes and burns our energy without using oxygen.

This type of metabolism comes into play during high intensity exercise like sprinting, marathons, weight lifting and weight training.

When you are doing these types of exercises, your body is mostly burning glucose (blood sugar) as an energy source.

This is why it is so important to consume a moderate amount of carbohydrates, especially when you are maintaining your lean body mass using weight training.

Anaerobic glucose metabolism occurs in oxygen deprived cells and cells which cannot perform aerobic metabolism. (e.g. red blood cells).

A by-product of anaerobic glucose metabolism is lactic acid, which causes rapid breathing and also muscle fatigue.

The lactic acids that build up in the muscles during anaerobic glucose metabolism should be eliminated.

This can be achieved by changing to an activity that will lead to aerobic metabolism.

For example, after sprinting, or running a marathon, it is a good idea to spend some time walking around, rather than standing or sitting down.