Common modes of endurance exercise

4 most common endurance activities

• Walking

• Running

• Cycling

• Swimming

Walking vs running: energy consumption (O2 consumption)

• Running = greater (more bang for your buck)

Why is running more energy demanding? (1)

Less energy efficient movement → shorter foot contact → more muscle work to propel body forward

For whom might walking be more suitable?

People with:

• Pre-existing cardiovascular issues

• Pre-existing injuries (e.g. osteoarthritis)

• Low fitness level

Load on joints: walking vs running

• Walking = 1.2 x body weight

• Running = 3-4 x body weight

At what speed is running more economical than walking?

• 8km/hour

Benefits of both walking + running (2)

• Both relatively cheap + convenient

• Both can be sociable

Running pro + con

• Best return on investment

• Higher injury rates

Walking pro + con

• Safer than running

• Requires greater volume to match energy expenditure

Difference in running kinetics for treadmill vs outdoor running + way to equalise

• Treadmills provide no air resistance + move ground for you → less energy expenditure

• 1% gradient on treadmill matches outdoor running (for 4:25 pace, otherwise 0 gradient is fine)

Cycling rate for equal energy expenditure to running (1)

• Need to cycle twice as fast as you can run

Advantages of cycling (3)

• Low intrinsic injury rate

• Time saving can be used as transport

• Great for building leg strength

Disadvantages of cycling (3)

• Greater severity of accidents when they occur

• High initial cost

• Free wheeling reduces energy expenditure

Swimming energy expenditure vs running (1)

Energy expenditure ~4x greater than running same distance (drag)

Swimming advantages (4)

• Low injury rate (low impact)

• Avoid heat stress

• Effective full body exercises + exercising back muscles

• Concentric muscle contractions (water resistance in all directions) → less likely to get muscle soreness

Disadvantages of swimming (4)

• Swimming ability

• Lower energy cost per minute than running( weight supported)

• Access + cost

• Chemical irritation