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The Science of Endurance Training and Performance

Learn about the science behind endurance sports training and performance, including effective preparation and rehabilitation.

12,500 enrolled on this course

Endurance training - cyclist with gas analysers
  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

Endurance sports such as cycling, marathons and triathlons are increasingly popular. Events attract everyone from elite athletes striving for performance improvements, to sedentary individuals looking to improve their health and well-being.

Wherever you sit on this spectrum, this course will help you train for and improve your performance in endurance sports.

You will learn with sports scientists from the Endurance Research Group (ERG) at Kent’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences – a world leader in endurance performance research and teaching.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 7 seconds LUCY HALE: Hello and welcome to The Science of Endurance Training and Performance. My name’s Lucy Hale. I’m a member of staff in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and I’m a member of the research group, the Endurance Research Group, at the University of Kent. Here I have my colleague, Dr. Glen Davison who is the coordinator of the Endurance Research Group at Kent.

Skip to 0 minutes and 29 seconds GLEN DAVISON: The Endurance Research Group in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is a world leading group of scientists and expert academics in the field of endurance performance and training. We cover many areas of endurance and conduct cutting edge research aiming to understand and improve endurance performance and training. We, in this course, are going to present some of our latest cutting edge research and share with you some of the insights that we have developed in the area of endurance performance, which we know will be of benefit to you in enhancing your performance and training.

Skip to 1 minute and 7 seconds LUCY HALE: Over the next six weeks you’re going to be covering topics such as psychology, nutrition, training, injury and prevention, pain and fatigue, and also respiratory issues in athletes. On each topic we’re not only going to be looking at techniques and recommendations surrounding the area of examination, but we’re also going to be looking at the science behind endurance performance. So we hope that you’ll understand a little bit more about what the cutting edge research is saying rather than some of the myths that surround some of these areas.

Skip to 1 minute and 40 seconds GLEN DAVISON: So come and join us on this course. Whether you’re a beginner, a recreational athlete, or a seasoned professional, there’s something that can help you enhance your training and performance in this course.

What topics will you cover?

  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Psychology
  • Fatigue and pain
  • Respiratory health
  • Endurance injuries and rehabilitation

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the science behind effective endurance training methods
  • Evaluate pre-, during, and post-exercise recommendations to support endurance performance and to protect the athlete from illness
  • Discuss psychological preparation for endurance sports
  • Explain how the concepts of fatigue and pain relate to endurance training
  • Investigate respiratory health, including normal and abnormal airway responses to exercise
  • Explore injuries in endurance sport and how they can be treated and rehabilitated

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in taking up an endurance sport or who is training for an endurance challenge ahead. It will also be relevant to athletes, coaches and sport scientists, as well as prospective sports science students.

No previous experience is necessary.

Who will you learn with?

I am a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and a member of the Endurance Research Group (ERG) in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at The University of Kent, UK.

I'm a Reader in Sports Science (University of Kent, Endurance Research Group) specialising in Nutrition & Exercise Immunology. I'm BASES accredited and a Chartered Scientist
Twitter: @GlenD800

Who developed the course?

The University of Kent

The University of Kent, the UK’s European university, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities. Established in 1965, it now has 19,850 students studying at its various campuses.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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