THE CLINICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE ANAEROBIC ENERGY SYSTEM AND ITS ASSESSMENT IN HUMAN-PERFORMANCE

The anaerobic energy system is involved in providing energy for all fo rms of physical activity. The relevance of this system to human perfor mance and physical fitness throughout the age spectrum is underscored here and contrasted with the aerobic energy system. The anaerobic syst em responds to high-intensity training with biochemical, neural, and a natomic adaptations. Unlike the aerobic system, this response tends to be primarily a local phenomenon with little systemic adaptation. An i mportant factor distinguishing anaerobic training from aerobic trainin g is the intensity of the exercise dose, For anaerobic training to occ ur, the dose must be of high intensity and performed to near-exhaustio n. The anaerobic system can be indirectly assessed by performance test s, such as a vertical jump or stair climb, or more directly by suprama ximal bicycle tests, The impact of recent research regarding the train ability of the anaerobic system, particularly in the elderly populatio n, is encouraging. The elderly respond to anaerobic training and, as a result, their independence, quality of life, and safety from falls ca n be improved. While little is known about anaerobic rehabilitation af ter injury, it is known that isokinetic and performance tests may be c onsidered normal after rehabilitation, despite incomplete rehabilitati on of the anaerobic system. Thus, appropriate application of the anaer obic system assessments and training principles is an important aspect of sports medicine practice.