From VO2 Max to Durability: Rethinking the Key Pillars of Endurance Training

In this episode of the Athlete's Compass podcast, hosts Paul Warloski, Dr. Paul Laursen, and Marjaana Rakai welcome endurance researcher Harrison Dudley-Rode to explore "durability"—a newly emerging fourth pillar of endurance performance alongside VO2 max, threshold, and economy. They unpack how physiological performance metrics like lactate threshold and critical power decline over time, what influences this degradation, and how athletes can potentially train to slow it. They also dive into the role of metabolic flexibility, sex differences, and new tools like Athletica’s Interval IQ in better understanding and enhancing long-term endurance.Key TakeawaysDurability refers to how well an athlete maintains physiological performance (like lactate threshold and VO2 max) over prolonged exertion.Traditional lab metrics are static; durability recognizes their dynamic decline during extended activity.Durability varies greatly among individuals due to factors like muscle fiber types and sex differences—females tend to be more durable physiologically.High training volume, consistency, long workouts, resistance training, and possibly fasted training may help improve durability.Carbohydrate availability plays a significant role in mitigating decline during exercise.There’s currently no consensus on the best training method to enhance durability—more research is needed.Real-time tools like Athletica's “Intervals IQ” aim to help track threshold changes during workouts.Paul Warloski - Simple Endurance CoachingMarjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.