Anaerobic Exercise Outperforms Aerobic in Health Improvements

Anaerobic Exercise Leads to Better Health Outcomes Than Aerobic Exercise

A research team led by Professor Lee Ji-won from the Department of Family Medicine at Severance Hospital announced on the 21st that anaerobic exercise is more effective than aerobic exercise in reducing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Differences in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), Hypertension (HTN), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), and Dyslipidemia between the Adult Anaerobic Exercise (RE) Group and the Aerobic Exercise (AE) Group [Photo by ⓒsev.severance.healthcare]

Anaerobic exercise, which includes short, intense activities like weightlifting, sprinting, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), primarily focuses on increasing muscle strength and size, as well as improving insulin sensitivity. In contrast, aerobic exercise involves moderate, sustained activities such as running, swimming, and cycling, which enhance cardiovascular endurance and improve blood lipid levels and blood pressure.

The study, which analyzed 13,971 adults and 1,222 adolescents, found that those who engaged in anaerobic exercise showed better results in key health indicators such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose compared to those who only engaged in aerobic exercise.

Specifically, the group that performed anaerobic exercise had lower rates of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia by 31%, 27%, 19%, and 20%, respectively. In the adolescent group, those who performed anaerobic exercise also showed lower cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by 10.2mg/dL and 8.5mg/dL, respectively, compared to those who only did aerobic exercise.

Professor Lee Ji-won emphasized, “This study demonstrates the critical role of anaerobic exercise in preventing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. While aerobic exercise has long been emphasized, our research highlights the metabolic benefits of anaerobic exercise, and the importance of balancing both types of exercise for optimal health outcomes.” The research findings were published in the journals BMC Public Health and the Korean Journal of Family Medicine.

Editor 메디마스터
^{Provided by: YONSEI UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM}