Endurance training covers everything from your first 5K to a marathon, a long day on the bike or a full triathlon. What connects them all is training your body to sustain an effort over time, and that comes down to three things: building up sensibly, fuelling properly and recovering well. This guide is your starting point for endurance athletes at every level: what endurance training actually is, how to get started and how to fuel it, with the specifics broken out into their own guides.
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What is endurance training? Aerobic endurance explained
Endurance training is any sustained effort where your heart, lungs and muscles work together to supply oxygen and energy over time. Running, cycling, swimming, rowing and triathlon are the classic examples. It's mainly about aerobic endurance: the main question isn't "how much can I lift once", it's "can I keep this pace up for the next hour".
That's what sets it apart from strength training. Your body draws much of its energy from glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. At a steady pace that store lasts roughly 60 to 90 minutes, but the higher the intensity, the faster it runs down. On top of that you lose fluid and electrolytes through sweat, and a race is about pacing rather than a single maximal effort.
How to start endurance training and build up
The biggest mistake beginners make isn't one bad session, it's doing too much too soon. Build distance and pace gradually, favour regular easy sessions over the occasional very hard one, and plan in rest days. Two to three sessions a week is a good starting point for most beginners. Wondering how to start running? Our guide covers the eight most common mistakes in the first few months, from overtraining to skipping your warm-up.
Don't forget strength work either. A strong core and strong legs help you move more efficiently and make your body more resilient to the repetitive load of endurance training.
Nutrition for endurance athletes
How you fuel an endurance habit comes down to two complementary approaches: what you eat and what you supplement with. Neither replaces the other, and most endurance athletes use both.
Food first
Carbs, protein, hydration, iron and B12, and the timing that matters for long sessions.
Read the nutrition guideSupplements
What to add before, during and after training, from energy gels to creatine.
Read the supplements guideYour everyday diet is still the foundation. The longer and harder you train, the more carbohydrate your body needs to top its glycogen stores back up. For the basics of eating around any workout, see our guide to eating before and after training.
Fuelling for endurance athletes: during training and on race day
If you're training for longer than about an hour, or your session is shorter but very intense, what you do mid-session starts to matter as much as what you ate beforehand. A common guideline is 30 to 60g of carbohydrate per hour for efforts longer than an hour, and sometimes more on very long efforts, depending on what your stomach is used to.
This is where energy gels and sports drinks earn their place: fast carbs and electrolytes you can take on the move without breaking stride. Our energy gel guide explains how many to take per hour. Prefer to drink? Isotonic Sports Drink combines carbs with electrolytes, and FIT ENERGY is a lighter, sugar-free option with natural caffeine. Find out more in our FIT ENERGY article.
Got a half marathon or marathon coming up? Our guide on what to eat before a half marathon or marathon takes you from the days before to the finish line, and our carb loading guide explains how to fill your glycogen stores in the 36 to 48 hours before the start.
Always test your race-day fuelling on long training sessions first. That way you'll know how your stomach reacts before you rely on it on the day.
Recovery after endurance training
Endurance performance isn't only built during the session, it's built in the recovery afterwards too. After a long or hard session you want two things: carbohydrate to refill your glycogen stores and protein for your muscles. Protein contributes to a growth in and maintenance of muscle mass. A meal or shake with both, in the hours after training, is the simplest way to cover it.
For endurance athletes, 1.2 to 2.0g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is a common guideline, depending on training volume. When a full meal isn't practical, a shake helps: Perfection Whey is the all-rounder, and Perfection Whey Lemonade is a fresh, light option that goes down easily after a warm run.
Don't forget hydration. If you've sweated heavily, replace fluid and electrolytes, for example with Body&Fit Electrolytes. And get enough sleep, as that's where much of your recovery happens.
Supplements for endurance athletes
Beyond mid-session fuelling, a few supplements come up again and again for endurance athletes. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sport and isn't just for lifters: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise, such as sprints, intervals and strength work. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3g of creatine. Read more in our Creatine 101 guide or browse our creatine range.
For hard, high-intensity sessions, a pre-workout can help you start focused. Our pre-workout guide explains what to look for. For the full picture, moment by moment, see our guide to supplements for endurance athletes.
Explore the endurance hub
How to start running
8 beginner mistakes to avoid when you're starting out.
Read the guide →Endurance sports nutrition
What to eat, how much and when, for long sessions.
Read the guide →Supplements for endurance athletes
What to take before, during and after training.
Read the guide →Energy gels
Fast carbs for running and cycling, and how many gels per hour.
Read the guide →Eating before and after training
The basics of fuelling around every workout.
Read the guide →What to eat before a half marathon
The days before, race morning, during and after.
Read the guide →FAQ: endurance training
What is endurance training?
Endurance training is sustained aerobic exercise, like running, cycling, swimming or rowing, that trains your body to maintain an effort over time rather than produce maximum force in a single rep.
What is aerobic endurance?
Aerobic endurance is your ability to keep going at a moderate intensity for a long time, with your heart and lungs supplying enough oxygen to your working muscles. It's the base that every endurance sport is built on.
Which sports count as endurance sports?
The best-known are running and trail running, cycling, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing and triathlon. Long hikes and hybrid events count too.
How do I start endurance training as a beginner?
Start with short, easy sessions two to three times a week and build distance and pace gradually. Our guide on how to start running covers the mistakes worth avoiding.
What should endurance athletes eat?
A varied diet with enough carbohydrate as fuel, protein for recovery and plenty of fluid. The detail is in our guide to endurance sports nutrition.
When do I need to fuel during exercise?
It depends on duration and intensity. For easy sessions under an hour, water is usually enough. If you're going longer than an hour, or the session is short but very intense, fast carbs from an energy gel or sports drink help you hold your pace.
How much protein do endurance athletes need?
A common guideline is 1.2 to 2.0g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, depending on training volume and spread across several meals.
Is running enough, or do I need strength training too?
Running alone builds your endurance well, but core stability and regular strength work help you stay efficient and better handle the load of lots of miles.
Finally
Whatever distance or sport you're training for: build up steadily, fuel your training well and take recovery seriously. You'll get more out of every mile, and you'll keep going for the long run.
Sources
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3), 543-568.
- Jeukendrup A (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44 (Suppl 1), S25-S33.
- Kreider RB et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 18.
- NHS: Exercise
- British Nutrition Foundation
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
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