From: hubermanlab
Endurance training is essential not only for physical performance but also for cognitive health. In the Huberman Lab Podcast, Andrew Huberman discusses how different types of endurance training affect the body and brain, providing tools and protocols to optimize endurance.
Types of Endurance
There are four primary types of endurance, each with distinct training protocols and benefits:
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Muscular Endurance: This refers to the ability of muscles to repeatedly exert force over an extended period. Training focuses on high repetitions to muscle failure, typically 12 to 100 reps across 3 to 5 sets, with rest intervals between 30 to 180 seconds. This type of endurance is crucial for activities requiring repeated muscle activation, such as push-ups and planks [00:40:00].
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Long-Duration Endurance: It involves one extended session of continuous activity, lasting from 12 minutes to several hours. This kind of endurance enhances mitochondrial density and capillary beds in the muscles, improving oxygen delivery and energy efficiency. Long-duration activities include marathons and long swims enhancing cardiovascular health [00:51:00].
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High-Intensity Anaerobic Endurance (HIIT): Characterized by short, intense bursts of activity followed by brief rest periods. This form of training, which includes exercises like sprints or intense cycling, enhances the muscle and neuronal ability to utilize oxygen and fuels at high intensity [01:02:03].
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High-Intensity Aerobic Endurance: This involves relatively long bursts of high-intensity work with equal rest periods (e.g., one-to-one work/rest ratio). It improves both cardiovascular and muscular systems, enabling athletes to sustain high performance over a longer duration [01:10:13].
Benefits for the Brain
Endurance training significantly impacts not only physical health but also cognitive performance. The adaptations from endurance exercises increase capillary beds in the brain, improving blood flow and oxygenation, which benefits cognitive functions such as memory and focus improving memory and focus [01:19:02].
Key Insight
Endurance exercises enhance brain efficiency by improving blood flow and facilitating neurological adaptations, which support long-term cognitive health.
The Role of Breathing and Hydration
Effective Breathing: Proper breathing techniques during exercise (e.g., nasal breathing or breathwork to warm up intercostal muscles) enhance performance and oxygen delivery, crucial for sustaining energy levels improving endurance through breathing [01:26:03].
Hydration: Maintaining optimal hydration is vital for endurance performance. Adequate electrolyte balance is crucial for neuron function, which significantly influences both physical and mental endurance importance of hydration [01:38:00].
Training for Endurance
Huberman suggests a balanced approach, incorporating various forms of endurance training tailored to individual goals and lifestyles. He provides detailed programming strategies and the physiological benefits associated with each type of training strategies for optimal performance [01:57:00].
Endurance training, by engaging different energy systems and neural pathways, not only bolsters athletic performance but also enriches mental acuity, resilience, and overall longevity. By strategically employing endurance protocols, individuals can enhance both brain and body adaptation for sustained efforts across various activities.