In contrast to strength training which is about increasing the ability to produce force or increase muscle growth, endurance training is aimed at improving the ability to sustain a given speed or power power output for extended periods. Like strength performance, there are number of physiological determinants of endurance performance.
That is, while increasing the total amount of force/power is clearly important (in that it will increase speed), being able to sustain that force/power for long enough to compete well is at least as important.
In this article, I want to look at the three primary determinants of endurance performance and talk a little bit about each. I’m not going to talk about the specific determinants of each or how to train for them; this is just meant to be an overview, introductory article on the topic.
The Importance of the Aerobic Engine
Strictly speaking, any event lasting longer than about 2 minutes can be considered an endurance event. … Keep Reading