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Measures and nutrients that can increase endurance
Good endurance is essential for athletes in particular. However, many others also want to increase their stamina in order to be generally fitter and do something good for their health . This article shows how this works and what can help.
Why should you increase your endurance?
Many people have experienced it: you walk up a flight of stairs and are immediately out of breath. This can be the result of poor stamina. But this is not the only reason why it is worth increasing your stamina. Good endurance can also have a strengthening effect on the immune system, the muscles and the cardiovascular system. It is also said to have a positive effect on the psyche , as the happiness hormone serotonin is released.
Important: It is better to improve endurance slowly than to increase it quickly and only in the short term. This also has lasting effects that have a corresponding impact on health.
Sport for better endurance
If you want to increase your strength and endurance at the same time, you should exercise regularly. Experts recommend regular training. Exercising three to four times a week for 30 minutes can make a big difference.
The best thing to do is to start with short exercise sessions and then exercise more often!
This may not increase your stamina in 2 weeks, but in about 4 weeks. Of course, this depends from person to person. However, after a few weeks of regular training, the first improvements in heart rate and blood pressure can usually be seen.
Which sport is suitable for increasing endurance?
It’s called “endurance sport” for a reason. Some sports are particularly suitable for increasing endurance. These classically include swimming, cycling and running. But jumping rope is also considered an endurance sport and can be done within your own four walls.
Endurance sports also include
Ergometer training
Jogging
Skiing
Dancing
Triathlon
Walking
Hiking
Exercise heart rate: what is it and why is it important?
The fact that sports that increase endurance have a positive effect on health can also be determined by the exercise heart rate. This allows you to control the intensity of your training. But what is the exercise heart rate anyway?
This is the heart rate that you reach during physical exertion. The heart rate indicates how often the heart beats per minute. It is best to measure your pulse no later than ten seconds after the end of the exercise. This is because the pulse rate drops again quickly.
It is also ideal to keep checking your pulse during training. This allows you to recognise when the physical exertion is ideal and how to optimise your training success. It also helps to prevent overloading. This is a common risk, especially for beginners.
But how high should the exercise heart rate be? That depends on your age, previous strength and fitness levels and your individual maximum heart rate.
4 tips to sustainably increase your endurance
If you want to increase your endurance, you often don’t know exactly where to start. It is important to have a medical check-up beforehand. If the doctor gives you the go-ahead, nothing stands in the way of effective training to increase your stamina. Here are 4 practical tips to help you stay on the ball.
1. Enjoy the exercise
When it comes to increasing endurance, some people may have clear goals that they want to achieve and therefore focus on certain parameters. However, in addition to all the rules and guidelines, it is important to find a sport that you enjoy .
Only if you enjoy exercise can you increase your endurance in the long term and reach certain milestones. As there are many different types of endurance sports, there should be something for everyone.
2. More exercise in everyday life
To increase your stamina, it is also worth integrating more exercise into your everyday life . Even small changes can make a big difference. For example, you can take a walk in the fresh air during your lunch break. And on nice days, you can leave the car at home and cycle to work. And how about swapping the lift for the stairs ? That way you can increase your stamina without too much effort.
3. Tracking with a pedometer
Many people need clear results to measure their success. A pedometer is the ideal invention for this. It helps to measure the number of steps taken in a day.
Often you don’t even realise how much you move in a day. And often you don’t even realise how little exercise you integrate into your everyday life. In such cases, a pedometer can be a real revelation and act as a motivator.
4. Sport with others
It is often difficult to get yourself to exercise on your own. It is much easier to motivate yourself if you do sport in pairs or in a group. Training with others is often much more enjoyable.
You can increase your stamina with fun activities together. Cycling tours or jogging excursions are ideal, for example. But you can also do a workout or two together.
The optimal nutrient supply for high endurance
Physical endurance has a lot to do with how well the body is supplied with nutrients. Micronutrients are particularly important in endurance sports.
People sweat during physical exertion. This flushes out minerals that are lost in this way. It is therefore not only important to replenish reserves of fluids and carbohydrates after sport. The micronutrient balance also needs to be balanced.
In addition, stress occurs in many areas of the body, which results in exposure to free radicals:
In the muscles
In the heart
In the blood vessels
In parts of the skeleton
A lack of micronutrients can lead to oxidative stress. This is considered to favour pain in the muscles, cell damage and inflammation.
Micronutrients are therefore essential both during the performance phase, in which the muscles are stressed, and in the regeneration phase between sports sessions. In addition to minerals, micronutrients also include vitamins. Which ones play a particularly important role can be read below.
Minerals
Minerals are essential for many functions in the human body – for example for energy metabolism and fluid balance. However, valuable minerals are lost with sweat. These include
If you want to increase your endurance in a healthy way, you should cover the increased requirement caused by sport.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for the metabolism . The immune system, bone formation and muscle strength all benefit from this vitamin. It is produced by the body itself when it is exposed to the sun.
A study has shown that low vitamin D levels in endurance athletes can lead to higher levels of inflammation. Although it has not been proven that vitamin D can increase endurance, the vitamin is certainly useful for a fit body.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are mainly found in oily fish, are an important component of cell membranes. They are also said to have anti-inflammatory properties. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are particularly important.
What do omega-3 fatty acids have to do with increasing endurance? A study has shown that the fatty acids may well be able to prevent muscle injuries and muscle soreness. They can also increase nerve conduction velocity, which can naturally increase performance and endurance.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants can fight free radicals. The following antioxidants in particular can be obtained from food:
Vitamin E
Zinc
The regular intake of antioxidants is said to be able to reduce muscle damage even in the case of overloading. Nevertheless, it is of course advisable not to overdo it with sport and to give the body enough time to regenerate.
Probiotics
Probiotics are the be-all and end-all for a healthy gut. A healthy intestinal flora in turn has a positive effect on the body as a whole. Overloading through sport can lead to a deterioration in the intestinal environment. Probiotics counteract this in a targeted manner.
In addition, a healthy gut makes you feel much fitter and enables you to approach sport with more energy. This also indirectly increases endurance.
L-carnitine
Endurance sport causes the metabolism to “switch over” to burning fat . L-carnitine helps to transport long-chain fatty acids into the power stations of the cells, where they are used to generate energy. This means that the need for L-carnitine is significantly higher in athletes.
L-carnitine is also said to be able to increase performance and therefore endurance, improve blood flow and reduce oxidative stress. It is also said to reduce the risk of muscle soreness. And faster regeneration after sport is also one of the positive effects of L-carnitine.
Are dietary supplements advisable to increase endurance?
Normally, people should be able to cover their nutrient requirements through their diet. However, if you are in the process of increasing your endurance and doing more sport, the need for certain minerals, vitamins and amino acids increases . In such cases, sports nutrition is often recommended, which can be taken in addition to a healthy diet.
It is always important to remember that nutritional supplements do not replace a balanced diet, but should only supplement it. In addition, you should consume high-quality products wherever possible. Kingnature only offers natural and high-quality supplements. If you are still unsure, you should consult a doctor. They can determine whether there is a micronutrient deficiency and whether it makes sense to take supplements.
Conclusion
Increasing your stamina has a positive effect on your health. It makes sense to take measures that slowly and steadily improve your stamina. More exercise in everyday life in combination with a suitable training plan and the right diet can make a difference.
