The 3 best ways to increase stamina

V02 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine an athlete's capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured as "milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight."

1- INTERVAL TRAINING

This type of training is very common and most of you have probably heard it before. It basically involves intense short bursts of cardiovascular exercise followed by a rest/moderate to low pace e.g. sprinting for 30 seconds followed by a 30 second walk for 15 mins. This is the single best way of increasing your stamina quickly and I would recommend it for anyone that does not have the time to perform longer, lower intensity endurance training (which is probably superior but takes up hours every week). A study shows that high intensity interval training (often referred to as HIIT) not only improved V02 max but the anaerobic capacity also increased by 28% which the steady state cardio group showed no improvement on.

2- ALTITUDE TRAINING

You can read about training at high altitude here which backs up claims that it increases performance. Subjects that trained at high altitudes increased cardiovascular performance, VO2 max and hemoglobin concentration levels. OK so most of you reading this will not have the facilities to do this but by restricting oxygen to the lungs when exercising technically replicates this type of training. You can buy a training mask or simply put a straw in your mouth and breathe through that! By restricting your oxygen flow, your diaphragm is strengthened, surface area and elasticity in the alveoli is increased. This may seem difficult at first so I would start of lightly and slowly ramp intensity up as you get used to it. 

3- CORRECT NUTRITION

I know I bang on about it on here but I can't stress the importance of correct nutrition enough. You need to stay hydrated with WATER. Just 2% total body dehydration can cause a 20% drop in performance levels. Dehydration also decreases stroke volume, which means a higher heart rate for any given exercise intensity. Anyone who knows anything about endurance training will know how important increasing your stroke volume is. Do not drink energy drinks before exercise see my earlier post on effects of energy drinks on cardiovascular exercise. 

        YES I KNOW I ALSO BANG ON ABOUT FISH OIL see my top 5 supplements but there is also evidence that it can boost your stamina and is important for lung health. Shoot for 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day.

REFERENCES
1) http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/VO2_max.htm
2) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30.Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max
3) http://www.jappl.org/content/91/3/1113.full


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