How To Improve Running Stamina

To find a way a way of running farther and longer without tiring is an ambition of many runners. It is particularly pertinent when training to run a marathon. Therefore, knowing how to improve running stamina is hugely beneficial.

Why Improve Running Stamina?

Increasing running stamina is essential if you are to beat your personal best, or finish your first marathon.

Stamina will help you to continue running without having to take significant rest periods. It will also help you to run faster, farther and for longer without it feeling harder to do so. Basically, improving your stamina will make any exercise feel easier.

How To Improve Running Stamina

1. Specifically train your breathing muscles daily with POWERbreathe Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) – it is scientifically proven to improve stamina.
2. Warm-up your breathing muscles before a race with POWERbreathe breathing devices – it is scientifically proven to reduce breathlessness, improving your breathing stamina from the start.
3. Strengthen your inspiratory muscles to improve blood flow to your legs. By doing so you are reducing the need to breathe over the need to ‘perform’. Find out more about Respiratory Muscle-Induced Metaboreflex.

POWERbreathe IMT Improves Running Performance

Results of a 2021 study indicate that 4-weeks of POWERbreathe Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) significantly improves 800-m running performance.

Using the POWERbreathe K2, the IMT group perform 30 inspiratory efforts twice a day, 5 days a week. For the first week, the training intensity is set to 50% of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP). Then, in week two training intensity is set to 60% of MIP. Finally, training intensity is set to 70% and 80% of MIP in weeks 3 and 4 respectively. The control group however, kept 50% of MIP for 4 weeks.

To evaluate how well participants in each group are doing, researchers establish their baseline data. This takes place before and after 4-weeks of POWERbreathe IMT. These baseline tests are:

• An 800-m running time-trial test.
• Limb blood flow test.
• Maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP).

Results of the study indicate:

“4-week IMT training significantly improves participants’ inspiratory muscle strength, 800-m running performance and decreases the limb blood flow change rate.”

Chang Yun-Chi et al (2021)

Middle And Long Distance Running

Previous studies indicate that 4-12 weeks of inspiratory muscle training significantly reduces fatigue and improves sports performance. However, most of these studies focus on long distance running, cycling, swimming and rowing. Read more about the use of POWERbreathe for athletes. This 2021 research shows how useful POWERbreathe IMT is for stimulating sports performance and increasing pulmonary function.

If you have recently taken up jogging, the study presents encouraging news. It finds POWERbreathe IMT significantly improves middle distance running performance.

Furthermore, only 4 weeks of IMT is enough for improvements in running performance, if training intensity is above 80%. This is a promising result for recreational runners whose breathing muscles aren’t as well trained as elite athletes. In previous studies using elite athletes, participants required only 50% training intensity of MIP to see an improvement. This study however reveals how to improve running stamina in recreational runners. One main finding is that recreational runners may require more time and a higher training intensity than elite runners.

The study suggests that by increasing maximum inspiratory pressure, with POWERbreathe IMT, you may be able to delay the onset of respiratory muscle fatigue. As a result, this reduces lower limb blood flow change, thus improving 800-m sport performance.

Chang Yun-Chi et al (2021)

So, if you train your inspiratory muscles with POWERbreathe breathing devices, your breathing muscles become stronger and more resistant to fatigue. This improved breathing stamina will help you to run farther and for longer. In fact, by improving your breathing endurance you improve running stamina and potentially enjoy your run a lot more too.