The medical dictionary defines exercise as physical activity that is planned, structured and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body. Aerobic exercise is exercise that requires the heart to pump oxygenated blood to the working muscles. Aerobic exercise activates the breathing rate and heart rate to increase and become sustained for the exercise session (medicinenet.com). Examples of this exercise include; long distance running, swimming, hiking, spinning and cross country skiing. It is the opposite of anaerobic exercise which is exercise without oxygen that causes you to be quickly out of breath. For example; 100metre sprint.
VO2 max (also known as maximal aerobic capacity) indicates the functional capacity of cardiorespiratory function. It is a benchmark of cardiovascular fitness (McArdle et al. 1996). The point at which the individual’s oxygen consumption plateaus defines the VO2 max. VO2 max is not only used to evaluate functional capacity in individuals but it is also used to monitor physical training adaptations and to specify endurance programmes (Shephard, 1984). VO2 max is expressed in litres of oxygen per minute (L/min) or as millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body mass per minute (mL/(kg.min)). Athletes that compete in sports such as cycling, rowing, running, skiing and swimming where endurance is needed, typically have a high VO2 max. The average untrained male has a VO2 max of roughly 35-40 mL/(kg.min), while the average untrained