Anaerobic exercise is a type of physical exertion that requires the conversion of glucose in the horses body (and yours!) without using oxygen, to provide a fast access source of energy (ATP).
Anaerobic means “without oxygen”, an (without), aerobic (oxygen).
In real time application terms, this means that anaerobic exercise results in a greater exertion, with a more powerful outcome, much more rapidly - but can only be sustained over a shorter duration than aerobic exercise. Anaerobic, and Aerobic pathways are in use basically all the time, however the dominant takeover of this 'oxygen free' energy producing pathway occurs systematically throughout the whole horses body (and humans) at the point of maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), so therefore any further energy must be generated by anaerobic glycolysis.
The flip side of this, is that beyond V02 max, when the recruitment of muscle fibres that are suited to anaerobic metabolism commences, a subsequent a sharp rise in blood lactate accumulation occurs as a product of glycolysis, aka the anaerobic energy producing process.
If you are lucky enough and time it right, this accumulating lactate can actually be reconverted to an even more efficient form of energy as the oxygen comes in and mops it up....but you have to balance exertion, hr recovery, duration to change over to the aerobic pathways again. If you over cook it, and it's too late and your horses deficit of glycogen (the form of 'sugar' stored within the muscles for rapid energy production) within the tissue out weights the capacity for recovery and keeps it well away from metabolic adaptation. ie. fitness development.
So lets try and steer well clear of that...
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