The Claim

During a single set of bench press to failure at 70% 1RM, velocity-based training increases the relative contribution of aerobic energy to 41% compared to 33% with tempo-based training, while anaerobic contribution decreases correspondingly, indicating a shift in metabolic demand despite no difference in total anaerobic energy expenditure.

Source: Bench-Press Performed With a Velocity- and Tempo-Based Approach: Are There Differences in Volume Load, Time Under Tension, and Metabolic Demands?

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
55score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

When performing a single set of bench press to failure at 70% of maximum strength, using a velocity-based approach results in a higher proportion of energy coming from aerobic systems (41%) compared to a tempo-based approach (33%), with a corresponding reduction in anaerobic contribution, even though the total amount of anaerobic energy used remains the same.

See the scientific wording

During a single set of bench press to failure at 70% 1RM, velocity-based training increases the relative contribution of aerobic energy to 41% compared to 33% with tempo-based training, while anaerobic contribution decreases correspondingly, indicating a shift in metabolic demand despite no difference in total anaerobic energy expenditure.

Why this might work

When you push the bar up as fast as you can, your muscles need energy much quicker than when you lift slowly. Your body can't make energy fast enough using its short-term, explosive systems, so it turns up the oxygen supply to make energy more slowly but steadily. This doesn't change how much explosive energy you use overall, but it makes oxygen do a bigger share of the work, letting you do more reps before getting tired.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Bench-Press Performed With a Velocity- and Tempo-Based Approach: Are There Differences in Volume Load, Time Under Tension, and Metabolic Demands?

    When you lift weights as fast as you can, your body uses a bit more oxygen for energy and a bit less of its short-term, explosive energy systems — even though the total amount of explosive energy used stays the same as when you lift slowly.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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