Increase Your Endurance: Effective Techniques Based on Neuroscience

Physical endurance is much more than simply withstanding a long workout. It's about our body and mind's ability to maintain continuous efforts, whether running a marathon or focusing on a project for hours. The science behind this capacity reveals surprising strategies that can transform your physical and mental performance.

The Key Systems Behind Endurance

To understand how to improve our endurance, we must know the five fundamental systems that support it:

Nerves: Control our muscles and determine when to continue or stop
Muscles: Generate the force necessary for movement
Blood: Transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the body
Heart: Pumps oxygenated blood to all tissues
Lungs: Capture the oxygen needed to produce energy

As modern neuroscience points out, endurance is "100% nervous system." Your brain has a "central governor" that decides when to continue or stop, regardless of the actual capacity of your muscles.

The 4 Types of Endurance You Should Know

Muscular Endurance

It's the ability to perform repetitive work over prolonged periods. The ideal protocol includes:

3-5 sets of 12-100 repetitions
30-180 seconds of rest between sets
Focus on concentric movements (not slow in eccentric phase)
Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, or planks

This type of training improves mitochondrial respiration and strengthens the neural connection with muscles.

Long Duration Endurance

Refers to continuous efforts of more than 12 minutes, such as running, swimming, or cycling for extended periods. Main characteristics:

Movement efficiency
Balance between muscular effort and energy utilization
Development of capillary beds in muscles
Increase in mitochondrial density

This training allows you to perform the same effort while burning less and less fuel.

Anaerobic HIIT

High-intensity interval anaerobic training uses:

3-12 sets
Work/rest ratios from 3:1 to 1:5
Examples: 30s effort/10s rest or 20s effort/100s rest

This method takes your system above 100% of your VO₂ max, maximizing oxygen utilization and improving mitochondrial respiration.

Aerobic HIIT

With a work:rest ratio of 1:1, this method:

Improves mitochondrial and ATP function in muscles
Increases lung capacity
Allows the heart to deliver more oxygen
Example: run a mile, rest the same amount of time, repeat

Interestingly, this training can prepare you for much longer races without having trained those complete distances.

How to Improve Your Performance with Specific Workouts

To maximize your physical and mental endurance:

Muscular endurance: Incorporate bodyweight exercises 2-3 times per week
Long duration endurance: Schedule 20-60 minute sessions at moderate intensity
HIIT: Add 1-2 weekly sessions, alternating between aerobic and anaerobic protocols
Gradual progression: Increase duration or intensity in 10% increments

The Critical Role of Hydration

Dehydration can reduce your work capacity by 20-30%. Follow the Galpin formula:

Body weight (pounds) ÷ 30 = Ounces of water every 15 minutes of exercise

Don't forget the key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, and magnesium, essential for neuronal and muscular function.

The Mental Component of Endurance

Your brain releases epinephrine (adrenaline) while you exercise, functioning as a "preparation signal" for your entire nervous system. Studies show that a specific group of neurons in the brain stem determines when we give up.

To train this aspect:

Practice overcoming small mental obstacles daily
Visualize success before starting
Break down large goals into smaller targets

Integrating Endurance into Your Daily Life

Combining these four types of training will not only improve your athletic performance but also your cardiovascular and brain health. By increasing the heart's stroke volume, you deliver more oxygen and nutrients to all tissues, including the brain.

Implement these methods gradually, listening to your body and allowing adequate recovery. With consistency, you'll notice significant improvements in both your physical endurance and your mental capacity to persevere in all aspects of your life.