Developing endurance
Endurance is understood as the ability to work without fatigue and to resist the fatigue that occurs during the course of work. Endurance manifests itself in two basic forms:
- In the duration of work at a given level of capacity, until the first signs of pronounced fatigue appear;
- The rate of work capacity reduction at the onset of fatigue.
A multifunctional property of the human body, endurance integrates a large number of diverse processes occurring at different levels, from the cellular to the organism.
Types of endurance
Types of endurance
A distinction is made between general and special endurance. General endurance is understood as the body’s ability to perform with high efficiency for a long time any work involving many muscle groups and putting high demands on the cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems.
Special endurance is the ability to endure long-lasting stresses specific to a particular activity. It is the ability not only to fight against fatigue, but also to perform the task at hand in the most efficient way possible within a strictly limited distance or time limit.
Special endurance is divided into:
Speed endurance (characterised by the ability of a person to perform fast movements for long periods of time without fatigue or a violation of technique);
Speed-force endurance (characterized by the ability to perform high strength activities for a long time);
Coordination endurance (repeated repetition of complex technical and tactical actions);
Strength endurance (indicates the muscular ability to perform heavy exercises for a long time without visible technical deficiencies. This type of endurance shows the muscle’s ability to contract repeatedly over a minimum period of time); Strength endurance has two types: dynamic and static.
Dynamic strength endurance is characterised by the performance of heavy muscle exercises at a relatively slow pace, but for a sufficiently long period of time.
Static endurance allows the muscular exertion to be maintained for a sufficiently long period without changing posture.
Endurance is provided by the increased functional capabilities of the body. It is determined by many factors, but above all by the activity of the cerebral cortex, which determines and regulates the central nervous system (CNS) and the performance of all other organs and systems, including the energy system. The CNS and its higher nerve centres determine muscle performance, the coherence of functions of all organs and systems, and the performance of movements and actions of the athlete. The CNS has great potential in this respect.
Aerobic and anaerobic endurance
Aerobic endurance is the ability to perform a load in an aerobic mode (below the lactate threshold). It is related to the function of the cardiovascular system.
Anaerobic Endurance is the ability to exercise in an anaerobic and maximal training mode (above the lactate threshold). Related to the function of muscles to buffer lactic acid.
Alactate anaerobic, phosphagenic (provided by energy decomposition of ATP and CP). Alactate anaerobic performance is assessed by the alactate fraction of oxygen debt, inorganic phosphorus content in blood, and the value of maximum anaerobic power.
Lactate anaerobic, glycolytic (provided by energy generated during anaerobic glycolysis). Lactate anaerobic performance is assessed by the maximum value of oxygen debt, its lactate fraction, the maximum accumulation of lactate in blood, a shift of blood acid-base equilibrium parameters.
The Fox-Haskell table shows the relationship between aerobic (light orange) and anaerobic (dark orange) exercise and heart rate.
First, you need to find out your maximum heart rate (MHR, or MHR). You can calculate this yourself or use a monitor. The usual formulas (for men: 220 for age; for women: 226 for age) are not suitable for trained people. Studies of heart rate in professional and non-professional athletes show how great the gap can be between them and their non-athletic peers.
Tools and techniques for the development of general endurance
A variety of training methods are used to develop endurance, divided into continuous and intermittent methods of exercise. Each has its own characteristics and is used to improve the various components of endurance, depending on the parameters of the exercise. By varying the type of exercise, its duration and intensity, the number of repetitions, as well as the duration and nature of rest, it is possible to change the physiological orientation of the work performed.
The uniform continuous method consists of performing exercises of low and moderate power for 15-30 minutes to 1-3 hours. This method develops aerobic capacity.
The alternating continuous method is characterized by periodic changes in the intensity of the continuously performed work. The body works in a mixed aerobic-anaerobic mode. The method is designed to develop both special and general endurance. It allows developing aerobic capabilities of an organism, the ability to tolerate hypoxic conditions, which periodically appear in the course of acceleration and are eliminated with the following reduction of intensity of exercise, teaches those who are engaged in “tolerance”, and develops willpower qualities.
The repetitive method is characterized by the use of both standard and different in length and intensity sections of the distance, repeated at unplanned rest intervals. The running speed and length of individual sections may be uniform, progressive or regressive. Rest intervals are arbitrary. The runner’s subjective feeling of readiness for the next workload determines the length of the rest intervals. It is not necessary to wait for full recovery. The most important thing is to perform the exercise with a certain number of repetitions and the planned speed.
The interval training method consists in dosed repetition of exercises of relatively short duration (up to 2 min) in strictly defined rest intervals, which can be dosed by time, distance, level of physiological indicators (heart rate). This method is usually used to develop a specific endurance for a specific job. It can develop both anaerobic and aerobic components of endurance.
General endurance is the basis for the maintenance of high physical performance in athletics, it ensures the tolerance of high levels of training load, i.e. the physical performance of the individual.