Question

What is steady state exercise?

Answer 1

Steady state exercise is activity that achieves a balance between the energy required by working muscles and the rate of oxygen and delivery for aerobic ATP production.

It has to maintain a steady rate, if not it will change from being steady state exercise to being anaerobic or high level aerobic exercise. This means that there would’nt be a balance between the energy required by working muscles and the rate of oxygen and delivery for aerobic ATP.

EXAMPLE- training exercises such as a 45-50 minute steady jog on a threadmill or a steady ride on a bike or any other sort of physical exercise with a steady pace.

HOW TO MEASURE –

Training intensity can be measured by maintaining a consistent work rate at a specific percentage of maximum heart rate (MHR), heart rate reserve (HRR) or aerobic capacity (VO2 max). Another option is to use ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), which allows you to use a 1-10 scale to judge the level of difficulty (1 being easier and 10 the hardest).

Advantages

• Exercising below the ventilatory threshold for an extended period of time puts less physical stress on the cardiorespiratory system and can be an effective way to prepare for an endurance event.
• It is an established and proven method for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and enhancing aerobic capacity.
• Increases mitochondrial density in type I (slow-twitch) muscle fibers, which can improve aerobic metabolism.
• Increases cardiac efficiency; specifically, elevating stroke volume and cardiac output at a lower heart rate.
• Enhances ability to use fat as an efficient fuel source, which reserves muscle glycogen to be used for higher-intensity exercise.
• Steady-state training to improve aerobic efficiency generates less metabolic waste and cellular damage than HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts.

Disadvantages

• If the goal is weight loss, steady-state training may require extended periods of training time to achieve the desired level of caloric expenditure.
• Using steady-state training to improve aerobic capacity may require lengthy exercise sessions, which can be a challenge for a busy lifestyle.
• Extended periods of exercise can increase the risk of repetitive stress injuries.
• Certain individuals may find it difficult to maintain the focus necessary to train at a constant work rate for an extended period of time.