Stamina is the ability to do intense exercise over a long period of time. Many sporting activities require stamina: basketball, soccer, gymnastics, wrestling and football. According to 2010 article by Jeffrey Harrison, published by the American College of Sports Medicine, gymnasts use their own body weight to build their stamina and strength.
Train Specifically for Your Sport
In their book, "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance," William McArdle and colleagues explain that muscles will adapt metabolically and physiologically to a particular training program. For example, if you are a soccer player who constantly stops, starts and changes directions throughout a game, your stamina will improve more through interval-type training compared to a non-stop, 20-minute run. Do line drills across the field as fast as you can instead of simply sprinting in a straight line.
Fuel Your Muscles
Stamina requires a quick as well as a steady supply of energy. It uses your anaerobic energy system, or your ability to form energy without oxygen. Stamina also uses your aerobic energy system, or your ability to form energy in the presence of oxygen. Your anaerobic system uses primarily glucose, while your aerobic energy system uses primarily fat. The National Strength and Conditioning Association reports highly active males must eat 23 calories per pound of body weight and highly active females must eat 20 calories per pound of body weight to sustain their training. Consume an easily-digested meal within one to two hours of your exercise or your game. Drink a carbohydrate sports drink to fuel your anaerobic system while you are exercising. It is essential you eat within 30 minutes of your session to maximally replenish the glucose stores in your muscles. Having enough energy ensures you can work intensely for a long period of time.
Get Sufficient Sleep
According to a 2002 article by Peter Hudson, PhD, published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, maximal growth and repair are done while you are sleeping. If you do not get enough sleep, your aerobic performance decreases. This means you may not have the stamina to perform effectively through an entire game. Your reaction time and your ability to process information will also decrease. Your performance will drop and you have a higher risk of injury.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Bodyweight Training: A Return to Basics; Jeffrey Harrison and Paul Sorace; April 2010
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Sleep, the Athlete, and Performance; Peter Hudson, PhD; April 2002
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