ABSTRACT
Aerobic endurance sports have always featured strongly in the media through competitions such as the Olympic Games, World Triathlon Championship, and well-known marathon races around the world. Focusing on the well-known relationship between the duration of an event and the intensity at which it can be completed, this chapter examines some of the key physiological concepts that can aid performance, such as VO2max, threshold points, and running economy. Monitoring performance is also an important aspect of high-intensity aerobic endurance sports, and different testing methods are described. Aspects related to training also feature both in terms of performance improvement and also reducing the risk of injury. As aerobic endurance sports are reported to have a higher prevalence of certain medical conditions, for example, upper-tract infections and respiratory diseases, the health aspects of these sports are described. Finally, the use of aerobic endurance sports and exercise is discussed in relation to ageing and the known effects of reducing all-cause mortality and chronic disease risk.
