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Endurance Training

Endurance training is regular vigorous exercise for the muscles. It is designed to develop the stamina that meets long term demands for energy. Training for endurance can include endurance strength training. Doing aerobic exercise comes first which consumes oxygen at the same rate the body can muster it.

Muscular endurance training is a logical next step. Now the anaerobic exercise kicks in when oxygen is lacking. Really intense exercise burns off carbohydrates and fat. At this level an athlete can work out for only short periods.

The maximum amount of oxygen a person can inhale is called the V02 Max. It has a genetic component. People after the age of 30 lose their VO2 capacity at a rate of about 1 percent per year. Nevertheless endurance exercise can raise this level by 20%.

Once the VO2 Max is exceeded when training for endurance, the body begins to burn fat and carbohydrates. Lactic acid begins to build up. Lactic acid causes fatigue. Researchers do agree that lactic acid build up is delayed for endurance athletes. Learning proper breathing patterns helps further.

At first trainers raise the cardiovascular metabolic capabilities of a student. This is aerobic exercise like jogging, treadmill, and swimming. The increased blood pressure builds up ventricular hypertrophy, or thickening of the heart muscle wall .

A heart monitor indicates 65 percent of maximum capacity. The maximum heart rate per minute for an individual is 220 minus the age in years.

Men burn carbohydrates first while training for endurance. Women are better at burning fat. Endurance strength training for women regardless of age improves fat burning. This means women are better at maintaining stable blood glucose levels.

Women doing regular vigorous exercise dropped dress sizes while maintaining their weight. Muscles weigh more than fat. The human body can increase muscle mass, lose fat, and maintain the same weight.

Men continue to burn carbohydrates hours after doing muscular endurance training. Women return to normal metabolism almost immediately. Postmenopausal women tend to have decreased estrogen, decreased lean body mass, and decreased aerobic capacity. Yet older women exhibit the same gains from endurance training as younger women.

In tests their VO2 increased by 16% and their heart rated dropped an average of 4 beats per minute over sedentary younger women. Postmenopausal women on endurance training can improve their cardiovascular fitness without having to rely on extreme diets.

For both men and women doing endurance training there is a feeling of increased energy and less mental sluggishness. All achieve health benefits that are controlling factors for chronic diseases.

X-rays for people on endurance training may reveal an enlarged heart. This is normal and not a result of disease. For a non-athlete this could represent a possible heart block, hypertension or heart failure.

The previous article is on using an Elliptical Trainer.

Always consult with your doctor or a certified professional trainer before undertaking any exercises, treatments, or dietary supplements.

Other wiki resources: cardiovascular training; endurance training; strength training; aerobic exercise; stationary bike