What Does Aerobic Mean And How Can I Tell If I Am Running Or Exercising Aerobically?
Generally speaking, all exercise performed at a steady state, such as walking or jogging is classed as aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is fuelled by the oxidation of fats and carbohydrates.
At this intensity, the body is easily able to take in, transport and utilise oxygen and supply it to the working muscles in sufficient amounts; so that the energy sources (predominantly carbohydrate and fat) can be oxidised and used to fuel movement. For the majority of people, aerobic exercise will dominate your half and full marathon training, not only to stimulate cardiovascular adaption but also to encourage the process of capillarization.
The best way to tell if you are exercising in an aerobic state is to do the talking test. If you can jog and speak a sentence before needing to take a breath, then you are training aerobically.
As your exercise intensity increases and talking in sentences becomes difficult, it indicates that you are reaching the limit of your aerobic threshold. As the intensity increases further, running can begin to feel a little bit more “uncomfortable”. This is the point at which you slowly begin to enter into anaerobic training.