Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to repeatedly produce force or sustain force over time before task-limiting fatigue occurs. It is usually assessed during submaximal muscular work, meaning the resistance is below the greatest force the muscles can produce in a single effort. Muscular endurance is one component of musculoskeletal fitness .^1,2

Muscular endurance is specific to the muscles and task being tested. It can be assessed by the number of repetitions completed against a resistance, the length of time a contraction or position can be maintained, or the amount of work performed before the required effort can no longer be sustained .^1,2

An important distinction is between absolute and relative muscular endurance. Absolute endurance is assessed using a fixed absolute resistance, whereas relative endurance uses a resistance defined in relation to a person's maximal strength, such as a percentage of their one-repetition maximum. These approaches measure related but not identical aspects of muscular endurance .^1,3

Muscular endurance is distinct from muscular strength. Strength refers primarily to the amount of force a muscle or muscle group can produce, typically during a maximal effort. Muscular endurance instead concerns the ability to continue producing or maintaining force across repeated or prolonged efforts .¹