Episode 342

Moving Beyond Aerobic and Anaerobic Training Labels

October 19th, 2026

36 mins 4 secs

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science for sport science for sport podcast james de lacey richard graves sports science strength and conditioning elite sport conditioning energy systems aerobic training anaerobic training high-intensity intermittent sports repeated sprint ability repeated sprint performance sprint interval training high-intensity interval training low-intensity training muscle oxygenation oxygen delivery oxygen utilisation nirs near-infrared spectroscopy heart rate recovery vo2 max individualised conditioning training prescription rugby conditioning football conditioning combat sports conditioning sweet science of fighting

About this Episode

Does the way we talk about aerobic and anaerobic training help us prescribe better conditioning, or can it lead us towards the wrong sessions?

This week, Richard Graves welcomes James de Lacey back to the Science for Sport podcast to examine conditioning for high-intensity intermittent sports, including rugby, football and combat sports.

James challenges the assumption that improving recovery between hard efforts always requires more low-intensity training. He explains the distinction between delivering oxygen to the muscles and the muscles’ ability to use it, and why identifying what limits an individual athlete should guide the training you prescribe.

They discuss what repeated sprint tests, heart rate responses and muscle oxygenation measurements can reveal, including why two athletes can achieve the same performance score through very different physiological responses. James also makes his case for short sprint interval sessions and explains why conditioning needs to complement the technical and tactical work athletes already do.

For practitioners working with limited time, the conversation raises a useful question: are you targeting the adaptation the athlete needs, or simply adding more work?

In this episode you will learn

  • Why James questions the use of aerobic and anaerobic labels to prescribe conditioning.
  • How oxygen delivery and oxygen use influence performance and recovery between intense efforts.
  • Why peak speed, power and VO₂ max values provide only part of an athlete’s performance picture.
  • How heart rate recovery patterns and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can inform individual conditioning decisions.
  • Where James sees a role for sprint intervals, longer intervals and low-intensity training.
  • How to account for sport practice, training load and time constraints when planning conditioning.
  • Why James argues that improvements from sprint interval training can continue beyond an initial training block.

About James de Lacey
James de Lacey is a strength and conditioning coach with experience in professional and international rugby union and rugby league. He holds a master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science and has published research in strength and conditioning. His work now includes coaching combat sports athletes and educating coaches through Sweet Science of Fighting. He is also a longstanding contributor to Science for Sport’s research reviews.

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