If you’re an endurance athlete, should the over-all-strengthening period of your training really come prior to special and specific strengthening? Should you be working on your VO2 max first and then your lactate tolerance – or the other way round? Is it best to follow best practice and build up an enormous reservoir of distance work before undertaking speed training, or is it better to develop strength as well as speed first and then begin increasing the volume?
These are the types of questions which must be answered correctly if you want to put together the best possible training programme. However, there is little scientific research to guide you to the correct answers. The quite lengthy scientific investigations needed to respond adequately to these queries would need to include quite large numbers of endurance athletes who could closely follow the guidelines of the research (in other words train precisely as the researchers specified, without throwing in their own favoured workouts) for protracted periods of time – while remaining injury-free.
The application of endurance training differs from sport to sport depending on the demands of the sport or exercise. However, the main principles remain the same as the need to increase the mental and physical strength of the participant.
How to apply endurance training
Determine limiting factors
The personal trainer or coach must first determine what the limiting factors are that are based around the causes of fatigue. Fatigue is caused by both physical and psychological factors. These two factors can be overcome by applying an endurance programme that is worked out and adapted to fit the needs of the participant.
Work the programme out
The coach or personal trainer must then work out an endurance training programme that is suitable for the participant, taking into account the need to build strength as well as improve psychological outlook by motivating and encouraging the participants.
Decide on the type of endurance training
The personal trainer or coach must decide which is the most suitable form of endurance training. For example, aerobic, anaerobic, speed or strength endurance training.
Agree of goals and review progress
The coach or personal trainer and the participant must agree on an attainable goal and how they are going to reach it. A plan must be put in place which sets out how the physical and mental goals will be worked on. The end goal must be reviewed from time to time and adjusted accordingly. Following suitable training, the body becomes better able to produce ATP via aerobic metabolism. The adaptations that occur improve oxygen delivery and oxygen utilisation, increase the rate of aerobic energy and the utilisation of fat fuel and reduce disturbances in the acid-base balance.
Whether you’re training for a Warrior Race, marathon, local 5km run, or if you’ve started with a league sport, running or else cycling, there are some essential nutrients as well as fitness components that you should be paying attention to if you want to achieve success. Preparation is key! So in order to optimise your performance, proper hydration, nutrition, strength training as well as warm-ups all need to be taken into account. Top that off with the correct supplementation and you’re ready to start your endurance training programme off correctly.
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