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Thread: will aerobic/energy system improve general energy level?

  1. #1
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    Default will aerobic/energy system improve general energy level?

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    Hello,

    I suffer from not-very-good overall energy levels that inhibit me in my work and day to day life. SS-style heavy barbell training has been pretty much my only fitness modality for a few years now. I'm wondering if some long, slow, energy-system type training (i.e. training in the aerobic zone) would improve my overall energy level.

    I've read that a big factor in endurance is how efficient the body is at turning fat to energy, i.e., the ability of the cells to metabolize fat efficiently. According to what I read, this aerobic fitness is different from cardiorespiratory fitness, i.e., the fitness of the heart and lungs. Cardio can be improved fairly quickly with HIIT training, but the aerobic/fat burning pathway requires long slow training.

    It stands to reason that if I were to train my cells to be more effective at burning fat for energy, this would help not just with physical endurance activities, but with my energy level generally. Is this true?

    Further background:
    Age 51
    BW--haven't weighed lately but around 265-270
    Testosterone--I take supplemental testosterone that keeps my levels at the top end of the reference range the lab uses (I am aware that those ranges aren't necessarily "normal levels")
    I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP all night every night.

    Squat 355, 3x3
    Deadlift 450 1 set of 4
    Bench ~312, 3x3
    Press 167 4 sets of 5

  2. #2
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    "Becoming a better fat burner" really means you get better at burning fat you eat not fat you store. You should focus on getting plenty of light activity on all days and throwing the dedicated cardio in a couple days per week. It won't kill your gains trust me. I started hiking daily and my squat went up 20 lb. Just don't go training for a marathon and you'll be fine. Judging by your numbers you could afford to lose some bodyweight and i'm sure that will fix a lot of problems.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    "Becoming a better fat burner" really means you get better at burning fat you eat not fat you store. You should focus on getting plenty of light activity on all days and throwing the dedicated cardio in a couple days per week. It won't kill your gains trust me. I started hiking daily and my squat went up 20 lb. Just don't go training for a marathon and you'll be fine. Judging by your numbers you could afford to lose some bodyweight and i'm sure that will fix a lot of problems.
    Neglected to mention that I am 6'6". But yeah I am carrying a little extra around the middle.

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    Well that changes things. In that case keep training and you'll fill out just fine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    Well that changes things. In that case keep training and you'll fill out just fine.
    But about my original question, is there a relationship between aerobic fitness, which I understand to mean how rapidly one's body can produce energy by burning fat, and overall energy level throughout the day? (I understood you to say before that becoming a more efficient fat-burner only applies to fat from diet, not stored fat. I'm not sure if that plays in here one way or the other, in terms of the underlying question about improving energy level.)

  6. #6
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    That is an academic question and impossible to answer. What is the relevance?

    Your activity levels and diet will influence your substrate utilization and total daily energy expenditure. A higher VO2max is associated with measures of energy expenditure. This is because VO2 and energy expenditure are related. That is pretty straightforward. Substrate utilization not so much. If you eat a carbohydrate rich meal you will have a higher Respiratory Exchange Ratio, which indicates that you are a "better sugar burner." If you follow a keto diet you will have a lower respiratory exchange ratio, which will make you a "better fat burner." If you hyperventilate your RER will be higher as well. All things constant, if you train like an endurance athlete and follow a mixed diet your substrate utilization will be pretty balanced.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    That is an academic question and impossible to answer. What is the relevance?

    Your activity levels and diet will influence your substrate utilization and total daily energy expenditure. A higher VO2max is associated with measures of energy expenditure. This is because VO2 and energy expenditure are related. That is pretty straightforward. Substrate utilization not so much. If you eat a carbohydrate rich meal you will have a higher Respiratory Exchange Ratio, which indicates that you are a "better sugar burner." If you follow a keto diet you will have a lower respiratory exchange ratio, which will make you a "better fat burner." If you hyperventilate your RER will be higher as well. All things constant, if you train like an endurance athlete and follow a mixed diet your substrate utilization will be pretty balanced.
    I misstated the question. What I want to know is, regardless of the mechanism or underlying physiology, is would some long, slow, endurance training increase my energy level for day-to-day activities?

  8. #8
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    Probably. If it's actually training it will interfere with your lifting though.

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