squash. But after a few months his shoulder began hurting.
Then his knee started to hurt and he felt much more tired dur-
ing the day, unable to concentrate on his work. My examina-
tion found Gary to be in a state of anaerobic excess. He was
placed on an easy aerobic program of the same duration, with
walking, easy stationary cycling and swimming, and was asked
to do no anaerobic exercise. Within three weeks, Gary was
much more energetic, and his shoulder and knee problems
were gone. After three months of building up his aerobic sys-
tem, Gary was ready to add weights to his routine.Gary had to do two things to improve his fitness and health. First,
he had to temporarily stop all anaerobic exercise. By doing this, a sig-
nificant inhibiting stress was taken off the aerobic system. Second, he
had to develop his aerobic system. In Gary’s case, it took three
months to build his aerobic system to a level that was balanced with
his anaerobic system. Only then could he return to anaerobic work.
Anaerobic Exercise and Wasting Disease
Some people obtain important benefits from lifting weights or
performing other hard anaerobic exercise, when performed in
balance with aerobic function. However, for most people,
ongoing anaerobic exercise creates a body state similar to can-
cer, HIV or other wasting diseases. Studies show that the bio-
chemical changes seen in chronic disease states are similarly
found in people who perform anaerobic exercise in as little as
three times a week for one hour over a four- to eight-week peri-
od. The problems include low amino acids (such as glutamine
and cysteine), low T-cell counts (from reduced immune func-
tion) and the loss of lean body tissue (muscle). Even in those
who lost weight, it was found that most of what was lost was
muscle, not fat. These same problems were not observed in aer-
obic exercisers.
Another problem associated with both anaerobic training and
chronic disease is oxidative stress (discussed in a later chapter).THE ANAEROBIC EPIDEMIC • 193