🏃♂️Endurance is a key physical ability in most sports. In order to develop it efficiently, coaches and athletes must have knowledge in the field of humans’ energy systems, which form the basis for endurance manifestation [1].
📋This post will help you understand endurance a little better and design an effective training program.
Humans have three energy systems that operate: anaerobic alactic, anaerobic glycolytic, and aerobic [2]. No matter what kind of actions are performed, all three systems are always active. Yet at any time, there is a predominant system that makes the biggest contribution to the process. Each energy system is characterized by two parameters:
⚡️A) Power - the time interval during which the maximum intensity of energy production by a system is achieved;
🔋B) Capacity - the maximum duration of a system’s operation during which it remains predominant [1, 3].
💣Anaerobic alactic energy system
Power: 3-5 seconds.
Capacity: 5-10 seconds [3].
💧Anaerobic glycolytic energy system
Power: 20-30 seconds (the key physiological characteristic - speed of lactate production per second).
Capacity: 30-120 seconds (the key physiological characteristic - the maximal level of lactate) [3].
🫁Aerobic energy system
Power: 2-5 minutes (the key physiological characteristic - %VO2max at the anaerobic threshold).
Capacity: >5 minutes (the key physiological characteristic - VO2max) [3].
Thank you!
References:
- Platonov, VN. The system of olympic athletes’ preparation [in Russian].
- Wilmore, JH, Costill, DL. Physiology of sport and exercise.
- Lisowski, J. Energetics of training means [in Russian].