• Chronic exercise provides stimulus for the

systems of the body to change

• Systems will adapt according to level, intensity,
and volume
• Specificity of training
• Metabolic differences (aerobic vs. anaerobic)
activities
• Metabolic differences within an activity
• Genetic endowment
• Fiber type patterns
• Somatotype ( Ecto,Meso,Endo)
• Environmental factors
• Fitness training status
• Time course of adaptations
• Magnitude of expected changes
• Mechanism of adaptations
• Gender
• Mechanism of adaptations
• Age
• Children vs. adults vs. older adults
Specificity of training
In order for a training program to be beneficial, it
must develop the specific physiological
capabilities required to perform a given sport
or activity.
SAID: specific adaptation to imposed demand.
• Anaerobic metabolism
• High intensity, short duration exercise = energy
• PRIMARILY from stored phosphagens and ATP

• Stored phosphagens (creatine phosphate, CP) are

molecules w/ high energy chemical bonds that when
broken down, provide energy for immediate use
• Anaerobic glycolysis utilized at beginning of
sustained exercise (regardless of intensity)
• Training intensity relates to how hard one exercises.
• Exercise intensity represents the most critical factor for
successful training.
 Volume of Training

 Training adaptations are best achieved when

optimal amount of work in training sessions
 Optimal amount of work varies individually
 Training volume can be increased by either
duration or frequency
 Improvement depends in part on kcals per
session and work/week
• Anaerobic training effects are best
developed through sprint training, shorter
and faster interval training, plyometric
training, circuit training, and resistance
(strength and power) training.
• The greatest adaptations occur at the
muscle-tissue level.
• They include:
• Significant enlargement of muscle fibers (mainly
Type 2B fast-twitch fibers) resulting in muscular
hypertrophy (an increase in the cross-sectional size
of the muscle) and subsequently, greater strength
• Hypertrophy occurs as a result of an increased size
and number of myofibrils per muscle fiber and
increased amounts of myosin and actin
myofilaments
• Muscular hypertrophy is more pronounced in males
than females due to greater levels of testosterone.
• Muscular hypertrophy is accompanied by
increased muscular stores of ATP and PC, as
well as enzymes required to break down and
resynthesise ATP
• Increased capacity of the ATP-PC system –
greater energy release and faster restoration of
ATP
• Benefits athletes in activities that require speed,
strength and power.
• Enhanced muscular storage of glycogen and
increases in the levels of glycolytic enzymes.
• Capacity of the anaerobic glycolysis system to
produce energy is enhanced
• Most significant circulatory system adaptation resulting
from anaerobic training
• Increase in heart muscle size
• Anaerobic training produces an increase in the thickness
of the ventricular walls
• No change in stroke volume, however there is a more
forceful contraction.
• Increase in the strength and size of connective tissues
such as tendons and ligaments
• Increase in the number of motor units recruited for
maximum contractions
• Increase in the speed of nerve-impulse transmission to
the muscle cells and increase in the speed of muscular
contraction