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What's the Best Way to Build Endurance?


Submitted by Laura Schwecherl
Posted on 01 Nov, 2021


What's the Best Way to Build Endurance
From cycling, to running, to soccer, to swimming, aerobic exercise requires endurance so athletes can keep on truckin’ without losing steam. But it may not be as easy as running longer, swimming farther, or cycling a century. Here, we lay out some traditional ways to boost stamina along with sneakier ways to keep going stronger, longer.

Push it Real Good—The Need-to-Know
Endurance allows people to work out at a certain intensity or for an extended amount of time (hello, marathon!). There are a number of factors that combine to create an athlete's "endurance profile," and two of the most important are VO2 max and lactate threshold.

VO2 max, or the maximum rate at which an athlete's body can consume oxygen during exercise, is the most popular measurement of aerboic capacity (although it’s unclear if it’s necessarily the most accurate).

Although endurance ability is mostly a matter of genetics, maximal oxygen uptake can be improved with targeted training. High intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts have been shown to to do the trick, increasing athletes' VO2 max.

Another piece of the endurance puzzle is the athlete's lactate threshold, or the level of exertion at which lactate accumulates in the muscles. Luckily, it's possible for virtually any athlete to improve both of these measures.

To improve lactate threshold—and therefore the ability to workout harder for longer periods of time—Greatist Expert Noam Tamir says tempo runs may do the trick. Endurance athletes often have a higher proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers, which power steady-state activities like running by using oxygen efficiently to generate more energy. Running long can train slow-twitch muscles to fuel such workouts more efficiently and to fight fatigue more effectively. A continuous practice of long-distance running can also help convert fast-twitch muscles to slow-twitch muscles, which will enhance endurance.

 

Surefire Stamina—Your Action Plan

Try these tips to help bump up endurance a notch. With some smart training and nutrition guidance, that Ironman may totally be within reach!

Rest up.
To go long and hard, athletes need fresh muscles, says Greatist Expert John Mandrola: “Go hard on hard days; go easy on easy days; and never string hard days together without adequate rest.” Feeling fresh can help anyone go the distance.

 

Eat right.
When it comes to exercise nutrition, carbs are key, since the body uses glycogen for fuel when the goin’ gets tough. Once glycogen runs out, the body turns to energy from other sources, and begins to burn fat. For extended cardio sessions, consume 30-60 grams of carbs every hour, depending on body weight. Studies have also found a mix of carbs and protein can enhance endurance performance and reduce muscle damage—win! That said, keep in mind that the best mix of carbohydrates, fat and protein varies considerably amongst athletes, says Mandrola. Experiment, experiment, and experiment some more to find the right combination for you.

 

HIIT it up.
It might sound crazy, but often less really is more. High intensity interval training—aka quick bouts of intense exercise—can help improve endurance in conjunction with traditional training. Need some ideas on how to mix it up? Run some stairs or try a track workout for some speed. Just remember to get plenty of recovery after these workouts—they’re intense!

[Related: The Benefits Of High Intensity Interval Training]

 

Add some strength.
When it comes to endurance training, variation is important. Resistance training can strengthen our bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles—helping improve overall fitness and helping with that final sprint to the finish. Mix up aerobic exercise with kettlebells, dumbbell, and bodyweight exercises to help improve stamina

 

Turn on the tunes.
Could it be as easy as pumping up the volume? Listening to music has been shown to boost endurance performance while walking, so it doesn’t hurt to work out with some tunes. The mind-body connection is especially strong among endurance athletes, and any pick-me-up can help when the going gets tough.

[Related: Does listening to music while running improve or reduce performance?]

 

Work on what’s weak.
People often find their fitness niche and stick to it. Instead, Mandrola advises people to mix it up in order to build endurance: Marathoners should work on speed, and flat-landers should stomp those hills. Getting to that personal best means working on what’s most challenging.

 

Drink beet juice!
Yup, it’s science. One study found nitrate-rich beets may help increase stamina up to 16 percent by reducing oxygen intake in athletes (It remains unclear if other nitrate-rich foods produce similar effects). So consider drinking some beet juice along with that bowl of pasta the night before race day. You never know. Just remember that beet juice can be high in sugar, so use in moderation.

 

Train smart.
The gradual adaption principle—that is, slowly and steadily increasing mileage and speed—is a great way to build endurance. There are ways to do this safely to avoid injury, from running on soft surfaces, to getting enough sleep and drinking tons of water.

[Related: Common CrossFit Mistakes To Avoid]

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