Aerobic Endurance Training

Boost your fitness with our comprehensive guide to aerobic endurance training. Discover effective workouts, tips, and techniques to enhance your stamina today!

Ben Bunting BA(Hons), PgCert. AAPTI.

9/19/20244 min read

What is aerobic endurance?

In the literal sense, aerobic endurance means 'with oxygen.'

Aerobic exercise is when your heart pumps oxygenated air to the working muscles, helping them burn carbohydrates and fat for fuel. This allows you to work for longer periods.

Anaerobic exercise, such as sprinting, is a form of activity that occurs 'without oxygen.'

Anaerobic exercises such as sprinting are performed at a high intensity, so your heart cannot deliver oxygenated blood into your muscles. This is why you can’t maintain intensity for a long period of time.

Cardio is the more common term for training to build aerobic endurance.

This is because it involves the cardiorespiratory (heart and lungs) system.

Aerobic endurance has many names, including cardiorespiratory, cardiovascular, and cardiorespiratory.

Also known as stamina or aerobic fitness, their definitions are the same: your ability to exercise moderately for long periods.

Why should you improve your aerobic endurance?

Even if your sport is not competitive, you can still improve your cardiovascular fitness by doing physical exercise.

This will reduce your heart rate as well as your risk for heart disease and many other conditions. No matter what type of exercise you do, your cardiorespiratory health will be greatly improved.

As an athlete, whether professional or not, endurance exercises will improve your VO2 Max.

Your VO2 maximum is the amount of oxygen that you can use during a maximal or intense exercise.

Your VO2 max is a measure of how efficiently your body can consume oxygen from the blood. This allows you to exercise at higher intensities for longer periods, and cover greater distances.

12 health benefits of improved endurance

  1. Endurance training increases stamina and improves cardiovascular fitness

  2. Reduces risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetics, and other health conditions

  3. By increasing HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol), it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease

  4. Endurance training helps regulate blood sugar

  5. Burning extra calories helps in weight management or weight loss

  6. Endurance training improves sleep and mood (I can vouch for this!)

  7. It improves lung function

  8. Your resting heart rate is reduced

  9. Endurance training makes your body more efficient in moving oxygen into your blood

  10. Your heart becomes more powerful and efficient in pumping oxygenated muscle blood

  11. Your body is able to convert carbohydrates and fat into energy more efficiently

  12. Your VO2 Max will increase

Increase your aerobic endurance

Running, cycling and swimming are the most common forms of endurance training.

However, it's a myth that you can only gain aerobic endurance by doing just these three activities.

This is especially true if you are an athlete. There are several ways to build aerobic endurance.

Strength training is one of them. It uses different energy systems. A well-balanced program that includes a variety of adaptations will give you the best results.

When training for an endurance race, you should focus on improving your cardiorespiratory capacity.

Even then, it is important to combine this with other methods of training.

Sprinting, for example, is anaerobic in nature, but sprinters benefit greatly from including longer distances.

To maximize the benefits, consider the frequency and duration of your training.

Although the frequency of your training is up for debate, you will not go wrong if you complete three to five 30-minute sessions per week.

What types of exercise can improve your aerobic endurance?

Concurrent training, CrossFit and other popular and modern training methods increase both strength and endurance at the same time.

There are many tried and tested training methods used by professional and amateur athletes. These have proven to be effective and will improve your aerobic endurance.

I'll outline some of them, below:

Long and Slow

The most common endurance training involves long, slow runs. It also includes cycling and swimming.

These activities require moderate intensity but rely on sustained energy outputs. Elite athletes use this type of training as part of a larger training program.

It is also suitable for novices and older people due to its lower intensity.

Tempo or pace training

For runners, it means a pace that could be defined as comfortably hard. It is a pace for runners that can be described as comfortable and hard.

Tempo runs are meant to test how fast you can run aerobically. They are performed at the lactate threshold, which is a metabolic byproduct of exercise at which lactate accumulates in the blood faster than it can be removed.

You can tell if you are training above your lactate threshold by the familiar burning sensation you will feel in your muscles.

Interval training

It is used to improve both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Interval training can improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, as the intensity of the exertion is close to that of anaerobic activity.

It's very effective in increasing your anaerobic and VO2 Max, which translates into being able to work harder for longer.

Circuit training

Circuit training is an old favourite, and it's one of the most customisable methods of training.

It involves a series of exercises using equipment or your body weight that are performed in a short circuit and then rotated with little to no rest.

Circuit training is a fitness model that includes both endurance and strength exercises. It can be easily adapted to fit your sports goals.

Fartlek training

Fartlek is a fun, unstructured training method that involves experimenting with different speeds.

Fartlek involves running continuously for 45-60 minutes, however, you vary the speed and intensity of your run. Using a creatine supplement could help with sudden bursts of speed during Fartlek training.

You can also walk during this time to improve endurance and strength.

Fartlek training also improves your mental agility, allowing you to switch gears more easily during competition.

Weight training or resistance training

Weight training stresses your muscles, forcing them to adapt.

It is similar to how aerobic conditioning strengthens the heart. The resistance training program complements all endurance training extremely well.

It is also an important type of training for professional athletes who compete in endurance events.

When you put your muscles under stress, they become stronger and can better handle endurance activities.

Blood vessels (arteries), in the working muscles of your body vasodilate to increase blood flow.

Exercises should be performed with high repetitions at a low intensity of around 60% of your one-rep max.

Conclusion

Improving aerobic endurance is essential for enhancing overall cardiovascular fitness, reducing health risks, and increasing stamina, allowing individuals to engage in physical activities for longer periods.

A well-rounded training program that includes various methods, such as long runs, interval training, and strength exercises, can effectively boost aerobic capacity and overall performance.