AESTHETIC GODS POOL POSTING

"The point is that Dr Lieberman realised that humans could outrun even fast animals. This was due to our ability to sweat which regulates our body temperature and the fact that we can run within aerobic exercise boundaries for long periods (jogging pace)" “Running an animal to heatstroke is something that most humans can do, and that other animals can’t,” says Lieberman. “It’s a compelling explanation for why these capabilities evolved, and frankly, nobody’s come up with a better idea yet.” "All you have to do is run the animal into the ground, spurring it into bouts of anaerobic sprinting until it can’t pant. Eventually it runs into a state of exhaustion and heatstroke then it collapses..."

On top of all of this. HUMANS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN PERSISTENCE HUNTERS. Humans are BUILT for running, and in particular, long distance running. We are not faster then many of the other four legged animals we hunt. No human can outrun Elk, Gazelle, a Cheetah or a Buffalo. We are bipedal animals, which means biomechanically we are at a disadvantage when it comes to sprinting speed in comparison to quadrupedal animals, the top speed of a bipedal animal pales in comparison to the top speeds that a quadrupedal animal can reach. The advantage we have over other animals is ENDURANCE. Humans have historically been persistence hunters, and there's regions in the world in Africa, Mexico and Latin America, Australia, etc. That STILL practice persistence hunting. "Dr Daniel Lieberman of Harvard university and Dr Dennis Bramble of Utah university have put forth a very convincing theory of how early man caught their prey and how man has in fact evolved for endurance running."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11219498/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20the%20literature%20suggests,removal%20and%20enhanced%20PCr%20regeneration. Aerobic energy system is responsible for re-synthesizing ATP after periods of high intensity exercise. The diagram i am using isn't WHOLLY correct though, lactic acid (what creates a burning sensation in your muscles when exercising) is produced even during periods of low intensity exercise, because at least to a degree the anaerobic system is still active. A good aerobic system will help remove Lactate and Enhance PCr Regeneration. This is a benefit to any athlete.

So what are the physical benefits of long distance running? How exactly will Aerobic training benefit me in my athletic pursuits? Why not just do sprints for cardio? Isn't that good enough? "The AEROBIC system (also known as the oxidative system) is the slowest acting energy system in our body, yet it is capable of creating the most energy. At rest, around 65-70% of your energy comes from the utilization of fat, 25-30% comes from carbohydrates, while less than 5-10% comes from amino acids (protein). As intensity increases, these percentages shift - carbohydrates become more important because of its quicker availability in the body. That's why you need adequate blood sugar (carb) levels when exercising or doing intensive activity. The aerobic energy system is the predominant system involved in exercise lasting 2-3 minutes, to hours and even days. The aerobic system (aero meaning air) requires oxygen to utilize fat stores (body fat) and carbohydrate stores (in your muscles and liver)."

Long distance running is hard, and that as a reason ALONE is good reason to incorporate it into your training. In my opinion, the weights pale in comparison to the discomfort, mental and physical, that long distance running puts you through (with SOME exceptions). If you have ever tried a marathon or a ultramarathon, you know exactly what i am talking about. Running is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. You are constantly fighting the desire and the urge to quit. This mental toughness and fortitude that endurance running builds cannot be matched by many other things. This callousing of the mind that long distance running helps develop will make you a better athlete and competitor in any sport or athletic discipline.

With all of that muscle and no aerobic capacity/endurance, you are just a paper tiger. Not being able to continue because you are gassed when you have to fight is a dreadful feeling, even if you are only sparring. Because in a nature setting, when you lose the ability to intelligently defend yourself anymore, that means death. You are at the mercy of whatever is in front of you trying to do you harm. At that point you will be WISHING you did your road work. Endurance is a MUST for any athlete. It's not only your anaerobic capacity that matters, that steady state long distance cardio matters.

"Fatigue will make a coward out of any man." It's not a good look to get gassed walking up a flight of stairs when you are 250lbs of lean muscle mass. Or to get invited to play a sport with your friends and after a few minutes on the field you get tired and have to take a break. Perhaps you NEED to run for some reason, perhaps you are being chased. Perhaps you are the one doing the chasing. Perhaps you need to make it to a certain destination by a certain time and you are running late. Perhaps other people are depending on you to keep up with their pace and you just can't and you get left behind, or worse, your friends have to stay behind until you can muster up the willpower and the strength to start running again. Perhaps you need to fight. If you have ever done a martial art before, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, you will KNOW the dreadful feeling of not being able to keep your hands up, intelligently defend yourself.

LONG DISTANCE RUNNING Distance running often gets overlooked and criticized as a method of training by people within certain spheres of the "fitness community". Lots of people have been convinced that distance running will eat away at all the muscle they have built via weightlifting. Some people will tell you it's not good for your joints and that you will get injured through running. Some will tell you to ditch distance running because extended periods in which cortisol is spiked is a "stressor on the body." (That isn't entirely wrong, cortisol will remain high through the duration of a long distance running, or any exercise in fact. But that doesn't mean you should just entirely neglect that aspect of training.) If you want to achieve a well balanced, healthy, and athletic and capable body, long distance running should NOT be overlooked. It shouldn't be exaggerated either though, obviously. Find a way to fit Aerobic exercise into whatever your training regime is, even if it is only once or twice a week.