ABSTRACT
Endurance is a term that, when applied to skeletal muscle, is synonymous with "resistance to fatigue." It is a basic property of muscle that is a function of certain complex variables such as fiber type, blood flow, substrate availability, mitochondrial density, and the concentration of particular metabolic enzymes (Saltin and Gollnick, 1983; Faulkner, 1985). It can be functionally distinguished from strength and augmented by endurancelike conditioning stimuli (Leith and Bradley, 1976; Saltin and Gollnick, 1983; Faulkner, 1985). Finally, it can be uniquely compromised by certain pathophysiological conditions that are not uncommon in clinical settings (Cohen et al., 1982; Grassino and Macklem, 1984; Tobin, 1988).
