How to increase endurance performance during sport

Last updated: April 5th, 2024

April 14th, 2022

Do you experience an overall lack of energy during sports activities? Then it’s time to increase your endurance performance during physical activity. In this article, we will explain what endurance is and why it is important for you. Additionally, you will discover which nutrients and supplements can support your diet, boost your energy levels, help you recover faster, and enhance your overall performance during your training.

Endurance performance in different sports

Endurance is the ability to sustain an activity for extended periods of time and usually relates to aerobic or anaerobic exercise [1].

Aerobic endurance applies to sports like long-distance running or swimming where athletes exercise for extended periods. In this type of exercise, the body relies on supplying nutrients and oxygen to working muscles.

On the other hand, anaerobic endurance is related to high-intensity exercises that may last minutes such as weightlifting. In these cases, a different type of endurance (strength) is necessary to achieve the maximum number of sets and reps in a workout plan.

During anaerobic exercise, many athletes also focus on activities that include resistance with the body (calisthenics) or equipment such as weight machines and barbell exercises.

The conclusion in each case is that a high volume of training puts extreme demands on the body from a physical (strength & power), mental (focus) and energy (endurance) retention standpoint.

Why is endurance performance important?

Endurance can benefit your overall wellness by improving heart health, lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, preventing injuries and controlling weight [2].

As it concerns your performance skills, studies have shown that endurance helps athletes develop skills like agility, speed, power, and strength [3]. More specifically, it is an efficient way to maintain energy levels before fatigue sets in.

As an example, you can consider a basketball player who wants to jump for rebounds in the final minutes of an intense game or even a marathon athlete who needs to run the last kilometres of a demanding race.

Thus, endurance can keep your circulatory system healthy and make the difference between winning or losing in different sports.

Ways to boost your endurance during sport

Boosting endurance during sports involves focusing on two primary aspects: enhancing training capacities and taking the right nutrition.

To improve training capacities, it is crucial to gradually extend exercise durations [3]. This can be achieved by progressively increasing the duration or distance covered during training sessions over weeks, months, or even years. Additionally, for anaerobic exercises, endurance performance can be enhanced by increasing the number of repetitions with lighter weights.

However, nutrition is also an essential factor that influences the endurance of athletes. More specifically, it has been proven that nutritional supplements play a vital role in enhancing athletic performance and endurance, even though there is a lack of knowledge of their use [4]. Thus, athletes need reliable information regarding supplements they can trust and use in their daily demanding lives.

In the next section, we will focus on the ingredients that a supplement should include for increasing endurance performance.

Ingredients for endurance

L-Glutamine

Even if the body can synthesize glutamine, its levels might not be sufficient for athletes. The body can become depleted of glutamine in the case of high-intensity training [5] and as a result, athletes seek to increase the dosage intake by supplementation.

L-Glutamine accelerates muscle recovery while it helps athletes to exercise harder. The increased sodium uptake reduces muscle fatigue and breakdown while maintaining muscle growth.

The recommended dosage for L-Glutamine is between 3 to 6 grams.

Carbohydrates

As mentioned previously, athletes need endurance for different types of training. For example, marathon runners exercise for extended periods of time and require a lot of carbohydrates to sustain their performance.

Any athlete who exercises for more than 60 to 90 minutes requires carbohydrate intake during their performance to sustain sufficient energy levels for fueling muscles since their glycogen stores may only last a limited time.

A combination of carbohydrates with a small amount of protein has been shown to prevent muscle damage during endurance exercise efficiently [6].

The daily recommended dosage for carbohydrates depends on the type of exercise. Overall, the following is advised:

• Moderate endurance exercise (1 hour per day): 5-7 g/kg of body weight daily.
• Moderate to high-intensity endurance exercise (1-3 hours per day): 6-10 g/kg of body weight daily.
• Moderate to high-intensity endurance exercise (4-5 hours per day). 10-12 g/kg of body weight daily.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that athletes can use to boost their energy temporarily [7]. More specifically, it can increase heart rates when athletes feel fatigued and has been proven to improve endurance performance [6].

Even if caffeine improves athletes’ perception of effort, it is important to be aware of the side effects it might have in higher intakes [8]. Some of the side effects of too much caffeine are anxiety, insomnia, muscle breakdown, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure.

It is also possible that caffeine has the opposite result where consuming many caffeinated beverages is followed by fatigue [9].

The recommended clinical dose of caffeine is between 3 and 6 mg/kg.

Citrus flavonoids (hesperidin) – Power and endurance in one ingredient

To increase your endurance, strength, and power during highly intense training, you should consider citrus flavonoids (hesperidin). BioActor has developed a proprietary ingredient that is optimized for bioavailability and performance, backed up by two clinical studies: WATTS’UP®.

WATTS’UP® was studied for its beneficial effects on endurance performance and high-intensity performance at a daily dose of 400-500 mg.

The first clinical trial was conducted at the Dutch Olympic training facility. It confirmed that WATTS’UP® is capable of significantly improving aerobic power in endurance athletes compared to placebo.

A second clinical trial was tested during the Wingate Anaerobic Test. It confirmed that WATTS’UP® can be very efficient for peak force, anaerobic power, and endurance compared to placebo.

In conclusion, proper nutrition in addition to a well-designed training plan, can enhance sport performance and reduce recovery time.