![]() As such, endurance athletes should concentrate primarily on developing aerobic fitness. It’s important to note that the contribution of aerobic and anaerobic systems will vary between individuals, and is affected by gender, age, genetics, and the performance/conditioning level of the individual.Īs you can see, the aerobic energy systems supply most of our energy requirements during events lasting longer than a couple of minutes. In the table below, you can see the proportional contribution of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism during different running events (800m to 10,000m). One point to note is slow twitch muscles fibre recruitment doesn’t decrease at higher intensities, rather we get increased recruitment of fast twitch (type IIa and IIb fibres). However, as exercise intensity increases, there’s a shift towards increased recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibres. At low intensities we recruit primarily slow twitch muscle fibres. However, as exercise intensity rises (such as during high-intensity interval training) anaerobic metabolism becomes proportionally more important.Ī major factor here is the increased recruitment of type II (fast twitch) muscle fibres. During endurance sports, we meet most of our energy needs through aerobic metabolism. Muscles produce energy through aerobic (requiring oxygen) and anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) metabolism. Increased muscle fibre recruitment – reduces the workload placed on individual muscle fibres which improves fatigue resistance.īoth cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance are key components of fitness.improved delivery of oxygen to the working muscles (greater cardiovascular fitness).Adaptations to the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.We can improve this through specific training that improves the fatigue resistance of slow and fast twitch muscle fibres. One factor here is the ratio of different muscle fibre types (fast and slow twitch). The greater the level of muscular endurance, the more force the muscle can exert over time. An athlete with good muscular endurance can repeat a series of muscular contractions without fatiguing. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles, to exert a force for a prolonged period. Through training, we improve the efficiency of all parts of the cardiovascular system. The efficiency of the circulatory system to transport oxygenated blood to the working muscles.The ability of the heart to pump large amounts of blood (cardiac output) to the working muscles.The capacity of the lungs to inhale large volumes of air (tidal volume) and efficiently absorb oxygen.Several factors affect the overall efficiency of the cardiovascular system: Factors affecting endurance Cardiovascular fitnessĬardiovascular endurance refers to the capacity of our lungs, heart, and circulatory system to transport oxygen during prolonged exercise. Therefore, an athlete with a solid base of endurance will fatigue less quickly, and will outwork other less trained athletes. ![]() While genetics and mental toughness contribute to fatigue tolerance, it’s highly trainable.įrom this, it’s clear that a key effect of training is being able to resist fatigue. The exact point where fatigue limits performance (tolerance level) varies and some athletes can endure much greater levels of fatigue than others. When fatigue reaches a certain point, an athlete’s work rate decreases. The primary factor that limits endurance exercise is fatigue. ![]() And the mental toughness or “grit” needed to achieve our peak performance. As such, the ability to compete strongly in endurance events is influenced by our physical fitness and psychological strengths.Įndurance training involves developing both general and event specific endurance. While this is massively influenced by physiological factors (efficiency of energy systems, aerobic capacity/ VO2 max, lactate threshold, muscle strength, power and muscular endurance) psychology also plays a key part in success in endurance sport. The fundamental requirement for any endurance sport is the ability to sustain a submaximal work rate for a prolonged period. What is an endurance sport?… An endurance sport is any sport in which there is a requirement to sustain an activity level while enduring a level of physical stress. In sport, endurance is the ability to sustain a specific activity ( endurance running, cycling, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing etc) for a prolonged period. We can define endurance as the ability to continue to endure a stress, hardship or level of suffering. ![]()
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