Fat % down, waistline up? huh?

mfallon

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 2LAP
Both types of muscle fibres can use aerobic or anaerobic energy, yet as you suggest the fast twitch tend tpwards anaerobic metabolism and slow twitch tend towards aerobic metabolism.

I have read in more than one source that fast-twitch fibers specifically use anaerobic energy while slow-twitch fibers specifically use aerobic energy while there is another sort of sub-class that can through training be converted to use one or the other. What you say makes sense though since what I've read would suggest that your fast-twitch fibers would be doing absolutely nothing when your doing aerobic training and vice versa and when you think about it, that would seem unlikely.

Endurance athletes TEND to have more slow twitch fibres and the opporsite is true for sprinters; however this does not infer potential. People with low numbers of fast twitch fibers can be good sprinters, by increaseing the 'cross sectional area or the volume of the fibres' and by doing this they can have 'more effective' fast twitch fibres than someone that has a high number of fast twitch fibres but which occupy a smaller volume or cross sectional area.

This is true but if you have a larger amount of fast-twitch fibers and you train such that you've increased the volume of the fibers equivently to someone who has a lower number of fast-twitch fibers would you not then be able to generate more anaerobic energy by having a higher number of fibers of the same volume firing simultaneously? Would that not lead to more potential provided you train to reach that potential? Regardless I do strongly believe you can achieve what ever goals you set your mind to if you are willing to do what it takes regardless of what you have genetically to work with (within reason of course).

Matt

mfallon

I used to have some friends that were cyclists or triathletes and they had legs that could rival a lot of amatuer bodybuilders (I used to tease them about thier disproportionate arms and upper bodies). I assumed that something they were doing had to be anaerobic in nature to build that much leg muscle. Since I live in "The Hill Country" I figured that riding or running up the hills was probably doing it. Also I've noticed my legs burning at the top of hills which I assumed was lactic acid and thus meant there was some anaerobic work involved suggesting that there would be enough anaerobic stimulous to be build at least some muscle. As I stated earlier though all of my experience is in weight training as I've only been seriously cycling for about a month so I'm still trying to sort some of this stuff out as it relates to cycling. In the past I never did any serious aerobic work but only did a very small amount to keep my body fat down so the aerobic part of this is very new to me.

Matt

less'go

[ Since I live in "The Hill Country"

Are you from Austin?

Sara

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