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Athletes have the capacity to obtain a limited amount of energy quickly without oxygen. Events that are predominantly anaerobic (i.e., they require maximal power and energy over a limited period of time) rarely last longer than 90 seconds because the anaerobic energy supply would be exhausted. In some anaerobic events, such as boxing, each round is followed by a period of rest to allow the cells to prepare for the next bout of intense work. What follows is a description of the anaerobic metabolic pathways.


