The 5 Physiological Functions Determining Successful Endurance Performance
/According to Christope Hausswirth, Ph.D. and Yann Le Meur, Ph. D, successful endurance performance requires the simultaneous activation of 5 key physiological functions:
Neuromuscular function — involves the central nervous system and the skeletal muscles, linked by a system of nerves ensuring the passage of information between the two. Its role is to ensure that the skeletal muscles produce the strength necessary to induce movement and displacement based on the command from the brain.
Energetic function — during activities of prolonged duration, the neuromuscular system is linked to the body’s metabolic capacity to ensure energy resynthesis from its own endogenous stores of sugars, fats, and proteins.
Ventilatory function — the oxygen required to oxidize these energy substrates is drawn from the air and processed by the lungs.
Circulatory function — the oxygen is then transported to the active muscles by the cardiovascular system.
Thermogegularoty function — ensures that the core temperature is maintained within a temperature range which will conserve the vital functions during activity and plays a major role in high thermal stress conditions and very long prolonged exercise bouts.
This breakdown from Hausswirth and Le Meur is simple and clear. It reminds both coach and runner that the athlete is a complex system of systems with a lot of interdependencies at play.
The quick takeaway from this breakdown is optimal training incorporates appropriately challenging training activities to improve each of these systems both individually and collectively. Neglecting the development of any of these vital physiological systems in training will result in performance limitations.
Source: Chapter 1, Endurance Training Science and Practice, Inigo Mujika
