Scientific research has identified lactate threshold (LT) and maximal exercise performance as being very important contributors to endurance performance. A well-designed endurance training program can lead to improvement in both LT and maximal exercise performance within a single season and from season to season.
Join the 2026 NSCA Training for the Endurance Athlete Summit in Tempe, AZ, on March 28. Explore endurance training performance, learn hands-on, + earn 0.8 CEUs.
This section from the book, Developing Endurance, gives an overview of how to plan and develop a program for endurance athletes by following four steps.
Personal trainersTSAC FacilitatorsCoachesProgram designEndurance TrainingEndurance AthleteProgrammingDeveloping Endurance
Endurance sports are typically not thought of as highly technical endeavors, but proper movement during training and competition for endurance sports can affect both performance and health.
This article discusses overtraining risk factors in endurance athletes and provides strategies for optimizing effective programming. Visit NSCA online to learn more about athletic performance.
CoachesExercise ScienceProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseProfessional DevelopmentPhysical PreparednessRecoveryPhysiological StressTraining VolumePeriodizationAerobic TrainingInjury MitigationAthletic Performance
Research shows that the appropriate integration of resistance training into the endurance athlete’s training can result in significantly better performance when compared to classic endurance training plans that focus only on aerobic endurance.
CoachesExercise Sciencetraining for runnersweight trainingstrength trainingsport performance trainingEndurance training
A sound year-round aerobic endurance training program should be divided into sport seasons with specific goals and objectives designed to improve performance gradually and progressively.
CoachesProgram designExercise program designoff-season trainingpostseason trainingin-season trainingpreseason training