The problem of increasing endurance is faced by most professional athletes in various sports, and the main efforts of the modern doping industry, which has justifiably shaken the entire Russian professional sports scene lately, are aimed at solving it.
Meldonium (mildronate), riboxin, erythropoietin, analgesics, stimulants of the nervous system – some examples of drugs developed to address this issue.
In this article, we will discuss how to increase endurance. I warn you right away: this is not a simple question, and the answer will be just as complex.
To everyone looking for a simple pill solution, I recommend turning to sports nutrition sellers: they know the answers to absolutely all questions and are rarely at a loss for words: they will always suggest something.
How to Increase Endurance According to Internet “Wisdom”
If you quickly scroll through the internet platforms that Google considers the most relevant (providing the most accurate answers) on how to improve endurance, you will see approximately the following picture.
What they recommend:
- drink enough water, warm up before training, wear appropriate shoes, engage in strength training, eat more protein, do interval training, eat more colorful vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates, take vitamins and minerals to strengthen the immune system 2;
- rest, listen to music, drink beet juice 4;
- (for MMA fighters) jump rope, train with a large bag, train with a small bag, focus on the opponent’s gloves, do cardio exercises (interval training, running, climbing uphill) 3.
Everything is here.
If the advice suits you – you can stop reading. Just don’t forget to buy yourself new shoes tomorrow.
I am not satisfied, primarily because the recommendations listed are typical, although there are a few sensible ones among them.
They would successfully serve as answers to a whole range of similar questions starting with “how”: how to be successful? how to improve memory? how to attract girls? how to be healthier?..
Let’s try to look at the question a bit deeper.
Internet advice on increasing endurance is very diverse: among them are recommendations to wear comfortable shoes, take vitamins and minerals, jump rope, and drink beet juice…
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Endurance. Real-life examples
The question “how to increase endurance?” is quite complex due to its multifaceted nature. There cannot be a straightforward answer like “take this three times a day.”
To demonstrate the complexity, I will provide a few examples.
Recently, about a month ago, my brother was diagnosed by doctors with iron deficiency in his blood. It turned out that this mineral is very poorly absorbed in his body, probably for a long time, maybe his whole life.
They recommended that he get an injection and take supplements.
A month later, my brother noted that his endurance had significantly increased (he runs and engages in street sports for himself).
Another example. I love cycling. I ride a road bike. All cyclists know that battling against a strong wind is an unpleasant task, excellently training endurance, especially when you also have to climb uphill… for a long time.
I have long noticed that I am not so much bothered by the increasing load as by the noise of the wind in my ears: when I ride with my ears covered (for example, with tight headphones) and do not hear the roar of the wind, it is much easier to ride.
Right now, I am writing this article while on the island of Lanzarote (Canary Islands) – a favorite spot for professional cyclists to train due to the terrain: there are no flat sections here. Constant climbs and descents, with a height difference of several hundred meters.
I am not a professional cyclist, just an amateur. I also have a bike here, heavy and uncomfortable. I ride it to the beach for training from a village located about 300 meters above sea level.
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The descent to the beach takes about 5 minutes, while the climb back takes around 60 minutes… The slope is very steep, and I have to push my physical limits in a non-stop mode. It’s a colossal load.
I had never climbed such hills before (they simply don’t exist in my homeland). When I saw the route on the first day, I thought I wouldn’t make it. It was tough; I had to stop every 200 meters…
On the second try, I made it without stopping. Now I ride with pleasure, although I can’t say it has become easier. But each time, I pay attention to what is happening in my mind during the struggle with the monotonous load… I will talk about this below.
The third example. In my life, I have conducted many dietary experiments on myself. And here’s what I noticed: when the diet has low protein and calories, the body recovers significantly slower (in addition, the frequency of colds increases).
When the nutrition is sufficient, you can train every day. Conversely, with poor nutrition, you arrive at training with aching muscles that simply refuse to work. I think this state is familiar to many to some extent.
Now let’s try to understand what lies behind all these examples.
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How to Increase Endurance: Key Principles
To understand how to increase endurance, it is necessary to first figure out what it depends on.
Endurance is the ability of the body to withstand prolonged exertion.
It is determined by at least the following factors:
- level of training;
- quality of nutrition;
- the body’s ability to digest-absorb-deliver nutrients to the muscles and brain;
- psychological attitudes in the brain;
- speed and quality of recovery…
It is obvious that the listed factors are not independent; there is an interconnection between them.
And behind all of them lie systemic complex concepts that go beyond the idea of a simple pill solution, popular in modern society, and their implementation in life requires discipline and self-control as a principle of life.
The question of increasing endurance lies beyond a simple pill solution
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1 The Brain and Endurance
In my opinion, the state of the brain during training (spirit, willpower, mental endurance) is a determining factor of endurance and can compensate for the lack of the others. At least in critical conditions.
Behind the concept of mental endurance lies the following dualism: the brain sends signals to the muscles to work, countered by feedback signals from the muscles and external factors about fatigue, difficulty of execution, and the need to rest.
Endurance belongs to those who can control with their brain the influence of factors that make them stop exercising, to give up.
Can mental endurance be trained? Or is it perhaps something we acquire exclusively through genetics? Most likely, both are true.
Almost everything in our body can be trained. This is a universal principle. If you want to gain mass – work with weights, gradually increasing them; if you want to become smarter – read books, moving on to more complex ones; if you want to become enduring – do what is difficult, increasing the level of difficulty.
But these are general words.
Let’s see what scientists say about how to train mental endurance.
“Athletes can perform beyond their physical capabilities.. But what distinguishes true professional athletes from the rest is that they know how to use their brain” – Robert E. Corb, PhD, psychologist and head of the Sport Psychology Program at UCLA 1.
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The authors of the webmd.com portal, from which the quote is taken, assert that mental endurance is trained just like physical strength 1. For this, they recommend:
- training self-confidence
“Self-confidence is probably the most important property of the brain that athletes need. It is not always based on actual physical ability. We all know examples of highly professional athletes who lost, losing confidence at some stage.” – Robert E. Corb.
“If a marathon runner tells himself before the race, ‘I will never do this,’ then he is very likely not to do it.”
- visualize the desired outcome
“Some athletes use visualization right before a game or competition. A basketball player may close his eyes and imagine making a shot. A sprinter envisions the starting gun and the first few steps. It’s a kind of mental rehearsal.
I often advise athletes to visualize the outcome. It’s like replaying a recording of what has already happened. It’s important to feel and remember the emotions that accompany achieving the goal” – Robert E. Corb.
- the ability to cope with defeats
“One of the qualities that distinguishes professional athletes from others is the ability to cope with defeat. They do not lose control.
And this is a skill that can be developed. How to regain focus on the outcome after a defeat? You need to learn to dynamically change your point of focus. There are many ways to achieve this.
Some athletes perform certain physical movements as a ritual – for example, a sequence of stretches. Others repeat a phrase internally. Some hum a song in their head. [Others, like Michelle Jenneke – a famous Australian runner – perform a dance]. Some take deep breaths for 30 minutes.” – Robert E. Corb.
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It is clear that to increase endurance, it is important to learn to control your state with your mind.
Now let’s return to the examples with the bicycle, the wind noise in the ears, and riding uphill.
Headphones allow you to turn off one of the external factors affecting the brain, which insistently tells you that you are struggling. This means that the opponents hindering you from performing the necessary actions become fewer.
Instead of physically eliminating the annoying opponent, you can train yourself not to perceive it. This is the highest level of skill.
Why did I stop every 200 meters on my first uphill movement, but during the second ride – not once, and then started to enjoy such a struggle? After all, I didn’t become physically stronger in just a few days?
It’s very simple: I wanted to test myself and prove that I can. What was happening in my head during the first ascent? Why did I stop? My brain was saying that I was tired, it was hard, take a break. During subsequent ascents, at moments when it seemed that I could not go on, my brain would kick in and say, ‘You can!’
And on top of that, I enjoy the feeling of worked-out muscles at the peak. Perhaps the desire to experience that feeling again is the main and expected motivation for the struggle…
The key point in increasing endurance is training mental endurance. A strong spirit can compensate for a lack of physical abilities.
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2 Training Level and Endurance
About 5 years ago, I trained like everyone else: 10-12 sets, arms, legs, chest, back, 1-1.5 hours.
At some point, I got acquainted with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It became interesting. At least some variety.
For several years now, I have been training 5 times a week, with one of the workouts being high-intensity interval training.
And you know what? Even today, interval training after just 40 minutes of exercise makes me drop to my knees… There’s something to it.
I am convinced that intense workouts are among the best for increasing endurance.
High intensity requires more coordinated work from all organs and systems: heart, breathing, muscles, brain, which is a key point in increasing endurance.
Let’s return to the definition of endurance: the ability to withstand load for a long time. The essence of interval training is that they do not allow you to rest for half an hour between sets, chatting with the guys or assessing the female and your own forms in the mirrors.
I regularly incorporate elements of high intensity into strength training, shortening breaks between sets or completely eliminating them, performing exercises in pairs or triples, alternating between different muscle groups (in this case, the rhythm does not decrease, but one muscle group rests while another works) or focusing on the same group for maximum engagement.
To increase endurance, practice intense workouts, shortening breaks between sets; experiment with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
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3 Nutrition and Endurance
From a nutritional standpoint, to increase endurance, it is important to ensure a good supply of nutrients to the muscles and brain during and after training for recovery.
The importance of what we eat, when we eat it in relation to training, how well the food is absorbed, and how effectively the body’s transport system works to deliver nutrients to the muscles and the brain cannot be overstated.
As you can see, there are a huge number of factors even here.
What and how should we eat?
Despite the complexity of the nutrition question, I would highlight two key factors that any athlete should pay close attention to: overall calorie intake and adequacy of protein intake.
The Importance of Carbohydrates
Caloric intake is the energy for training. It is primarily provided by carbohydrates. Insufficient endurance can easily develop due to inadequate nutrition for the load; that is, at some point, energy literally runs out.
This explains the importance of carbohydrates in athletes’ nutrition. It is important to understand how much is needed throughout the day, which types are better (simple or complex), and when relative to training they should be consumed.
Our body can also derive energy from fats. There are various opinions in the scientific community regarding which is better (carbohydrates or fats). For health, weight loss, and lean muscle definition, it is recommended to reduce carbohydrate intake and increase protein and healthy fats. As seen on the ketogenic diet, for example.
However, it should be noted that carbohydrates are more easily converted into energy, making them a more preferable source of energy, and athletes should be cautious with low-carbohydrate diets, especially during periods of intense training.
Behind the overall calorie intake lies another not-so-obvious indicator: the higher the calorie content, the larger the volume of food, and the more vitamins and minerals are supplied to the body.
This is, by the way, the main reason why dietetics experts assert that athletes do not need to take special sports vitamins: they consume more natural food, and along with it, more micronutrients.
A deficiency of many vitamins and minerals is accompanied by a decrease in athletic performance: in particular, an increase in fatigue and a decline in endurance.
The Importance of Protein
Protein. It is very important to have a sufficient intake of quality protein (eggs, cottage cheese, or whey, egg protein, or casein), the need for which is higher in athletes.
Why the emphasis on protein?
It consists of amino acids, which nourish and restore muscles, as well as being necessary for brain function (concentration, attention, mental fatigue) and the creation of hormones, enzymes, and the building of biological tissues.
For example, BCAA amino acids play a very important role in muscle function during training, while glutamine is the most widely represented amino acid in the body, including in muscles, responsible for immunity, etc.
All amino acids have an extremely important role; a deficiency of even one of the essential amino acids can lead to disruptions in vital functions, including the recovery of muscle tissue.
Of course, carbohydrates and fats (as they provide energy), vitamins and minerals, vegetables, and fruits are also important…
The question is very complex. Check out Principles of Proper Nutrition for Gaining Muscle Mass. It outlines the main principles that are valid in all sports.
Now let’s return to the example with my brother and iron deficiency. What was the problem and why did endurance increase?
Iron is necessary for the creation of hemoglobin – a protein in red blood cells that is involved in transporting oxygen to the muscles and beyond. Oxygen is a key element in metabolism. It is needed for the functioning of absolutely all cells, including muscle cells. The better the oxygen supply, the higher the endurance.
Many types of doping improve the blood’s transport function in delivering oxygen. For example, erythropoietin.
A deficiency of many vitamins and minerals affects the deterioration of sports performance.
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– What about vegetarianism and endurance?
Yes, indeed, there is an opinion that vegetarian athletes are more enduring than those who consume meat. The question is ambiguous, and scientific studies are also contradictory. See Vegetarianism and Sport: Advantages and RISKS | Scientific Facts.
One of the determining factors for increasing endurance is proper nutrition, primarily the consumption of sufficient protein. Scientific evidence regarding the benefits of vegetarianism for endurance is contradictory.
4 Sports Nutrition (Supplements) for Endurance
To be honest, I don’t believe in the magic of sports supplements. I am convinced that most of those who report positive effects from their use are simply not eating properly.
Due to the multifaceted nature of the problem, it would be much more successful to recommend practically the entire range of sports nutrition for increasing endurance. And most likely, it would help.
But remember: most types of sports nutrition are just extracts from natural products of certain “important in sports” components… which are found in regular foods.
Often, to increase endurance, it is recommended to take BCAA amino acids, L-carnitine, arginine, taurine, glutamine, energy drinks, meldonium, riboxin, and stimulants.
BCAA amino acids and carnitine, glutamine have theoretical justification for their effectiveness in increasing endurance and combating fatigue. Very often, these are the ones recommended by sports nutrition sellers. However, the results of scientific studies on their effectiveness in athletes are very contradictory.
See L-carnitine for athletes: USELESSNESS for gaining muscle mass and endurance and BCAA amino acids: what are they needed for in bodybuilding?, What is glutamine needed for in bodybuilding?
When the diet is rich in the right nutrients for increasing endurance, one can try to increase blood flow to the muscles. This can be aided by the amino acid arginine.
Arginine stimulates the production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow and thereby improving the delivery of nutrients to the muscles.
It can be taken as a supplement. But it is already present in quality protein sources.
Scientific research on the actual effectiveness of arginine as a sports supplement is very contradictory, with a strong emphasis on “useless.”
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Taurine has scientific justification for its effectiveness in increasing endurance. You can experiment with it (material will be released soon).
Energy drinks raise levels of physical and mental energy and can increase endurance by stimulating the nervous system. However, they can lead to addiction, have a negative stimulating effect on the nervous system, and may cause side effects.
Meldonium (mildronate) is the most widely mentioned drug in the Russian doping industry, developed by Latvian pharmacologists. Its extraordinary popularity indirectly indicates its effectiveness.
The developers of mildronate claim that their drug increases overall physical performance, improves oxygen supply to the muscles, accelerates the excitability of nerve tissue (which is important for reaction speed), helps combat psychological stress during competitions, enhances the supply of glucose = energy to the heart and brain cells, accelerates the removal of metabolic waste… and is not only safe but also beneficial for health.
If all of the above is true, then meldonium is a real find for increasing endurance.
After the WADA ban was introduced, the creator of meldonium, Ivar Kalvins, stated that “in the near future we will see many deaths among professional athletes, as this drug is necessary for heart function under serious loads“.
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And finally, riboxin. It is also widely known and used in the countries of the former CIS bloc as a drug that increases endurance. Its effectiveness is not supported by scientific research.
– What about the necessity of taking sports vitamins for endurance?
Another popular but unfounded point of view.
Synthetic vitamins are recommended by doctors to be taken in cases of INadequate nutrition and certain health problems. Athletes are not at risk of micronutrient deficiencies (provided they have a balanced diet) and there is no point in regularly taking sports and any other types of vitamins. See Vitamins for athletes: pros and CONS.
However, as noted above, it is important to remember: a deficiency of many vitamins or minerals is accompanied by a decrease in endurance.
Most types of sports nutrition and doping drugs that are most often recommended for increasing endurance do not have scientific confirmation of their effectiveness
5 The Importance of Recovery for Endurance
A muscle that has not rested and recovered after the previous workout will not be able to withstand not only increased but also usual loads.
Proper nutrition and sleep are essential for recovery.
To test this statement, try to feel how your body responds to reducing your caloric intake by half, or to protein fasting for several days, or to a lack of adequate sleep… There is no other way to understand the importance of this point.
An unrecovered muscle hurts and aches, resisting any attempt to use it and always has very low endurance.
Active muscle recovery occurs during nighttime sleep. The same applies to the brain. Sufficient sleep increases reaction time and concentration.
How much sleep do you need? 7-9 hours. Sometimes more. The duration is determined by how hard (long and intensely) you train.
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To increase endurance, it is important to allow the body to recover after training. This requires proper nutrition and sufficient sleep.
Conclusion
The question “how to increase endurance?” does not have a simple answer, as a huge number of factors determine it.
Recommendations will be as follows:
- increase the intensity of your workouts: experiment with high-intensity interval training, reduce rest between sets in strength training;
- train mental endurance: it is the brain that makes the body stop when performing a difficult action, being convinced by external and internal factors that it is no longer possible; just as muscles can be trained, so can mental endurance;
- recover: eat well and get enough sleep;
- experiment with sports supplements and doping agents if you really want: BCAA amino acids, carnitine, arginine, meldonium can help you.
But best of all, review your diet and learn to eat properly. In most types of sports nutrition, there is no magic. This will also help avoid deficiencies of important vitamins and minerals for health and athletic performance.
