Aerobic Endurance and Fitness
What is Aerobic Endurance?
Sports Definition: cardiovascular endurance, aerobic fitness, or stamina, is the ability to exercise continuously for extended periods without tiring.
A person's aerobic fitness level is dependent upon the amount of oxygen which can be transported by the body to the working muscles via the lungs and blood system, and the efficiency of the muscles to use that oxygen.
Who Needs Endurance?
Aerobic Endurance is one of the main fitness components, important for success in many sports. Certain sports, such as distance running and triathlon, it is the most important physical attribute. In many other sports, including football codes, good endurance is also very important as part of the overall fitness profile. A vote of the top sports requiring endurance has the obvious ones of track and field distance runners, road cyclists and longer distance swimmers in the top three. See also another list ranking sports in which endurance is important.
running for fitnessTraining the Aerobic Energy System
There are many ways of training to improve your aerobic energy system. Running and cycling are some of the main exercise modes used for artobic exrcise. In many respects, the exercise mode is not that important, it is more important to exercise at the right intensity for long enough. See our guide to setting target training zones for endurance training.
See our discussion of Aerobic Fitness Training Programs, with guides for training to improve your endurance fitness.
Related Pages
- Aerobic Fitness Tests — a large range of fitness tests of endurance, as well as VO2max charts.
- What are the highest ranking Endurance Sports?
- Breathing During Exercise
- Limitations to Exercise
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