What Performance Improvements Occur Following Anaerobic

Exercise?

Muscular Strength
• A review of more than 100 studies has shown that mean strength can increase approximately 40%
in “untrained,” 20% in “moderately trained,” 16% in “trained,” 10% in “advanced,” and 2% in “elite”
participants over periods ranging from four weeks to two years (103).
• With training, a positive shift in muscle fiber types reflects an augmented recruitment of higher-order
motor units. Type IIx fibers transition to Type IIa fibers and reflect a greater fatigue resistance at similar
absolute force output.
Power
• The optimal load for maximizing absolute peak power output in the jump squat is 0% of 1RM (i.e., body
weight [31]). However, it has been reported that peak power output is maximized in trained power
athletes
with higher loads corresponding to 30% to 60% of squat 1RM (12).
• Peak power in the squat is maximized at 56% of 1RM and in the power clean at 80% of 1RM (31).
• For the upper body, peak power output can be maximized during the ballistic bench press throw using
loads corresponding to 46% to 62% of 1RM bench press (11).
Local Muscular Endurance
• Cross-sectional data in anaerobic athletes have shown enhanced muscular endurance and subsequent
muscular adaptations consistent with improved oxidative and buffering capacity (100).
• Skeletal muscle adaptations to anaerobic muscular endurance training include fiber type transitions
from Type IIx to Type IIb, as well as increases in mitochondrial and capillary numbers, buffering capacity,
resistance to fatigue, and metabolic enzyme activity (64, 116).
Body Composition
• Resistance training can increase fat-free mass and reduce body fat by up to 9% (116).
• Increases in lean tissue mass, daily metabolic rate, and energy expenditure during exercise are
outcomes
of resistance training (53).
Flexibility
• Anaerobic training potentially can have a positive impact on flexibility, and a combination of resistance
training and stretching appears to be the most effective method to improve flexibility with increasing
muscle mass (116).
Aerobic Capacity
• In untrained people, heavy resistance training can increase VO2max from 5% to 8%. In trained
individuals,
resistance training does not significantly affect aerobic capacity (52).
• Circuit training and programs using high volume and short rest periods (i.e., 30 seconds or less) have
been shown to improve VO2max (64).
Motor Performance
• Resistance training has been shown to increase running economy, vertical jump, sprint speed, tennis
serve velocity, swinging and throwing velocity, and kicking performance (116).