Glycolysis Workouts

Glycolysis, the process of taking carbohydrates in the body and turning them into the energy-filled compound ATP, occurs through anaerobic activities. Anaerobic exercises are intense exercises that cannot be sustained for long periods of time. These exercises may include weight lifting, sprinting and jumping. Anaerobic workouts consist of short exertion, high-intensity movements.

  1. Glycolysis Workout Timing

    • Since a well-balanced workout includes both aerobic and anaerobic activities, a glycolysis-focused workout should focus on anaerobic activities first. Performing aerobic exercise first uses the body's stores of creatine and glycogen, limiting the amounts available for glycolysis. However, performing high-intensity training prior to aerobic exercise ensures that the energy needed for glycolysis is readily available.

    Time-Specific Workouts

    • Glycolysis workouts can consist for approximately 30 minutes before the body uses up glycogen and glucose. After the first half hour of anaerobic activity, switching to aerobic exercise lets your body consume fat for energy. For athletes interested in glycolysis-focused workouts, performing high-intensity activities for up to the first 30 minutes of a workout and then doing aerobic exercises is the best way to maximize energy that is used in high-intensity training while selectively burning fat efficiently.

    Afternoon Workouts

    • Since glycolysis workouts depend on the body's stores of glycogen and blood glucose, the time of day plays an important role in maximizing these workouts. In the morning, your body has used up its glycogen stores and exercising in the first few hours of waking up is not an efficient glycolysis workout. However, exercising in the afternoon after your muscles have restored their glycogen stores results in increased energy to fuel a workout. Structuring your workouts to take place in the afternoons or evenings ensures a more productive and efficient glycolysis-focused workout.

    Fueling A Glycolysis Workout

    • In order to ensure adequate glycogen stores to fuel your workout, diet is important. Consuming a carbohydrate-containing meal or snack a few hours before a workout provides your muscles with enough glucose to produce ATP to fuel your workout. A sandwich made with whole wheat bread, oatmeal with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt with trail mix are just a few of the pre-workout meals that provide glucose needed to fuel this workout.