Methodological aspects of endurance training
The development of aerobic performance and aerobic capacity requires the organism to make numerous complex adaptations. The focus is on increasing the mitochondrial mass, thickening the capillary network, increasing the blood volume and haemoglobin quantity as well as increasing the performance of the heart and thus the cardiac output. Endurance training therefore requires careful, long-term development.
Basic endurance training is a regular, stress-free, varied and comprehensive training programme of low to medium intensity. The workload must be carefully tailored to individual requirements and needs. If necessary, the heart rate can be monitored using a heart rate monitor.
The basis of specialised endurance is basic aerobic endurance. Specialised endurance training requires a serious analysis of the requirement profile. Excessive demands during training or neglect of regenerative measures often result in a loss of performance. The majority (70-80%) of endurance training consists of units that can be assigned to basic endurance I & II. Discipline-specific training makes up only a small part of the total volume.
In competitive sport, it is important to regularly evaluate the development of aerobic performance through tests and to carefully plan and gradually increase the amount and intensity of exercise.
Training methods
5 methods are used in classic endurance training:
Endurance methods
Continuous exercise of constant or varying intensity over a longer period of time.
Continuous endurance method: extensive or intensive endurance running
Variable endurance method: cycling (running or cycling with a random or fixed alternation of high and low intensity phases)
Interval methods
Systematic alternation of phases of exertion and recovery. The length of the breaks does not allow for complete recovery. The breaks are actively organised (relaxed trotting, relaxed swimming, light gymnastics).
Intensive or extensive interval training
Short/medium/long-term interval training
Repeat methods
Systematic alternation of phases of exertion and recovery. The length of the breaks is such that a largely complete recovery is possible (active and passive regeneration).
Intensive and extensive repetition training
Short/medium/long-term repetition methods
Intermittent methods
Short, intensive loads of the highest quality in continuous alternation with short, active recovery.
15 minutes of trotting and jumping over 5 hurdles every 10 seconds
Control and competition methods
Stress under test and competition conditions.
12-minute running test
Friendly games
The performance of individual people varies greatly. As a result, the training intensity must also be adapted to the individual. Using heart rate, the subjective feeling of exertion or the speech rule, every athlete can determine their own optimum training intensity. The simplest but also least accurate method is subjective intensity data. However, these are sufficient for training in popular sports and are therefore often used. A very frequently used and also recognised method is the Borg scale (levels 6-20 from very, very easy to very, very hard). The training programmes differ depending on the endurance training goal.
The maximum heart rate can be determined using a simple formula. Men subtract their age from the initial value of 220 (women 226) to define the maximum pulse rate. A 30-year-old man therefore has a maximum heart rate of 190, a 46-year-old woman a maximum heart rate of 180. But beware, this is a rule of thumb that does not apply to everyone
Training load
It is often not easy to evaluate a training session/training week, which is why a method is used to weight the training. You can use an objective or subjective method to categorise and compare the different training sessions. The important thing is to always use the same method for the assessment.
Objective method
Duration (min) x heart rate (zone 1-5)
e.g. 30 minutes x zone 3 = training load 90
Subjective method
Duration (min) x value according to intensity scale (level 1-10, very easy to extremely hard)
e.g. 60 minutes x intensity level 7 = training load 420