High-Intensity Training Best For Endurance

It seems counterintuitive, but short bursts of high-intensity training appear to do more for endurance than running a marathon does. The Wall Street Journal reports on the research supporting the claim, which was conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where researchers asked 50 men to cycle as fast as possible for 30 seconds, rest for four minutes and then repeat the exercise six times. They then collected muscle tissue samples from the cyclists’ thighs, and looked for evidence of free radicals that break down calcium channels in the muscle cells and tell cells to increase their muscular endurance by boosting the production of mitochondria. Ready? The envelope please…..The Journal reports that the researchers found that when compared to the muscle cells of people who had recently run marathons, the cells of high-intensity exercisers showed a bigger effect on their calcium channels than running 26 miles. Why? Because a normal workout may release 20 percent-30 percent more free radicals, high-intensity exercise can release upward of 200 percent more free radicals. The bottom line: add high-intensity workouts to training regimes to boost stamina.