We all know that endurance is the ability to perform relatively intense work over an extended period of time, but how many of you know how endurance training affects our bodies?

The following are the major, performance related physiological changes that occur as a result of endurance training. This list does not include all known adaptations, nor is the list of known adaptations itself considered to be complete.

Muscles
The muscles store greater amounts of glycogen (carbohydrate fuel), triglyceride (fat fuel) and myoglobin(a protein that stores oxygen. These adaptations increase the body’s ability to produce energy. The size and possibly the number of muscle fibres increase in some muscles. These changes result in greater muscle strength, which is why the base phase of run training is important.

Heart
The heart muscle becomes larger and more powerful, hence capable of pumping more blood per contraction. Consequently the resting pulse rate decreases, as well as the heart rate associated with any given level of intensity of exercise. To prove this theory, during the base phase of your training run the same course at the end of every three week cycle at the same pace. What you should find is that your average heart rate for the duration of that run should lower each time.

Blood
Blood plasma volume and haemoglobin content increases, improving your body’s ability to carry oxygen to the muscles.

Vascular System
Capillary density in the muscles increases. Capillaries deliver oxygen from the bloodstream to the muscles, so this adaptation also increases the body’s capacity to consume oxygen.

Body Fat
The muscles metabolize more fat both at rest and at moderate levels of exercise. This adaptation increases endurance and decreases levels of stored body fat, which helps to maintain an ideal race weight.

Bones
The density of many bones increases, making them stronger and more injury resistant. A huge benefit when it comes to the higher intensity training/racing.

Next time you’re training and your session is endurance based, you can really think about all the good you are doing for your body.

Happy Training!!

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