All posts tagged: aerobic

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: The Difference Between the Two​—and Why It Matters

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: The Difference Between the Two​—and Why It Matters

Published by Jenni Sidey

Exercise generally falls into one of two categories—aerobic or anaerobic—and if your goal is simply to improve your physical fitness, you could probably get by for a while without ever knowing the difference. “Whether you’re training for aesthetic improvements, a specific activity or sport, or health-protective benefits, they’re both effective,” says Luke Carlson, founder and CEO of Discover Strength. But as your goals begin to narrow, you’re going to want to understand the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Because, at a certain point, one will become significantly more valuable to you than the other. “You shouldn’t necessarily be doing 50-50, and it depends on your specific fitness goals,” says Irvin Sulapas, MD, a sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist. “Both are important, but you have to look at your goals.” Here are the most important differences (and similarities) between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, according to experts, along with their advice for how to use both in your training. Aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise The difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise is not so much about …

A half hour of aerobic exercise reduces test anxiety and boosts cognitive focus in students

A half hour of aerobic exercise reduces test anxiety and boosts cognitive focus in students

Published by José Betancourt

A brief session of moderate aerobic exercise can ease the psychological burden of test anxiety while sharpening the specific mental skills needed to ignore distractions. Researchers found that a quick run on a treadmill rebalances brain activity, helping students process conflicting information with greater speed and focus. The findings were recently published in Physiology & Behavior. Test-related distress is a common experience that goes beyond simple nervousness. It involves intense worry, physical tension, a racing heartbeat, and scattered thoughts that arise before or during an evaluative situation. People facing this condition often struggle with a cognitive skill known as inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is the brain’s ability to tune out irrelevant information and suppress impulsive responses. It acts as a mental filter that allows a person to focus on a test question rather than the ticking of a clock or their own internal worries. This mental barricade prevents distracting signals from derailing a person’s train of thought. When psychological distress disrupts this mental filter, students become easily distracted by their own fears. Their brains dedicate …

A single dose of cocoa flavanols improves cognitive performance during aerobic exercise

A single dose of cocoa flavanols improves cognitive performance during aerobic exercise

Published by José Betancourt

Consuming a single dose of cocoa rich in specific plant compounds can improve a person’s reaction time and decision-making skills during physically and mentally exhausting exercise. These cognitive benefits occur even though the individual still feels just as mentally drained, suggesting a subconscious boost to brain performance. The findings were published in the journal Psychopharmacology. Hayato Tsukamoto, a researcher at the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University in Japan, led the investigation. His team wanted to understand how mental exhaustion affects physical performance and whether nutritional supplements could offer a protective effect. They focused their attention on a mental process known as executive function. Executive function is a cognitive system that helps people manage their thoughts, direct their attention, and control their impulses. During sports like soccer or basketball, athletes constantly rely on this system to make rapid choices and block out distractions. Maintaining this mental sharpness is essential for high-level athletic performance. When people use their executive function for an extended period, they experience a state of cognitive fatigue. This mental drain slows …