ABSTRACT
This chapter presents what factors influence aerobic performance and presents the physiological changes that occur with positive aerobic adaptations. Endurance exercise performance is governed by the interplay of a variety of physiological, psychological, and mechanical factors. A large body of research has shown that strength and power training can improve mechanical efficiency, so aerobic exercise performance can be improved indirectly by the effect of strength/power training on mechanical efficiency. Aerobic endurance is affected by maximal oxygen consumption, lactate threshold, fuel utilization, muscle fiber type, and exercise economy. Mechanical efficiency concerns the oxygen cost relative to the amount of work performed during an exercise task. The chapter explores how to designate athlete-specific training intensities, how to track athlete-specific positive and negative adaptations, understand how to use absolute HR, and how training can be programmed to enhance performance. The idea of fractional utilization is simply a way to quantify the intensity of aerobic exercise, but primarily from a metabolic perspective.
