Having mountain biking endurance and skills is nice, but without stamina training for mountain biking, you can’t enjoy long-distance MTB rides.
While riding, you may start feeling muscle fatigue, and even feel your legs burning on steep climbs.
Stamina is highly important on hot days when you sweat more.
In this guide, I will discuss nine effective ways that will help you build stamina for mountain biking.
If you follow all these strategies that we will discussed, then within one month, you will notice your stamina has increased.
Plus, you’ll able to ride longer without getting tired too quickly.
Also read: 12 Best Strength Training Excersize for mountain bikers
1. Start with Interval Training
MTB interval training is one of the most effective ways to increase cycling stamina and boost cardiovascular endurance for mountain biking.
This training offers both cardiovascular and muscular benefits.
When you are doing interval training, you would want to do high-intensity exercise and have a short recovery period.
By doing so, you challenge your body to adapt to this behaviour and improve the ability to recover quickly.
How to Do It:
First of all, you want to find a hill or a long stretch of a mountain bike trails.
After that, you will ride at speed for at least 30 to 60 seconds.
After reaching the top of that hill or the target where you are riding (long stretch), you will come back at a slow speed in 1 to 2 minutes (it’ll be your recovery period), and you want to repeat this process 5 to 10 rounds per season.
As you get fitter, you can increase the number of intervals or the duration of the high-intensity phase.
This simple high-intensity interval training will improve your overall endurance, plus it’ll prepare your body to work hard and recover quickly.
That’s how you train your body, which ends up boosting your stamina.
Also read: 4 weeks mountain bike training program
2. Ride Longer, Gradually
Nobody can build MTB endurance overnight; it takes consistent mountain biking stamina training and progressive overload in cycling.
Here’s how you can build gradually by riding continuously.
You want to ride 10-15% extra every day or every week.
For example, you ride 20 miles in a day. So, after one week, you will ride 22-23 miles.
And after that week, from the next week, you will ride 25-26 miles a week.
But once a week, you will ride longer than usual.
Let’s say you ride 20 miles a day, then once a week, you will ride at least 30 miles a day to build aerobic endurance. (You’ll follow this until you don’t see any growth)
Also read: How to increase endurance for mountain biking
3. Focus on Climbing Power
Everyone likes MTB downhill riding, and why not? After all, we don’t have to put in much effort, yet we can ride at speed.
However, improving MTB climbing strength is essential for handling steep technical trails.
You will want to keep to your legs and cardiovascular muscles healthy and strong.
Here are some climbing Tips that will help you build stamina:
Firstly, you need to find a trail or a long hill where you can ride rapidly to build strength.
And the start, riding on it for at least 10 times (based on your current stamina).
If you feel tired after riding 10 times (on that long hill).
Then, you will do one extra set (a total of 11).
And that extra one will be part of your mental training.
Remember:
Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill. – Muhammad Ali
However, when you are climbing a trail, make sure you stay seated and maintain a steady pace. By doing so, you can conserve more energy.
You can also stand occasionally to train your muscle group and give your legs some rest.
These small things will give you more Power during steep and short climbs.
4. Strength Train Off the Bike
Mountain biking is not limited to leg strength for cycling; it also requires core strength for mountain biking to maintain balance on rocky terrains.
So you have to add some strength training in your fitness routine to build both simultaneously legs and the core.
Here are a few exercises that you want to do:
Firstly you need to do squats and lunges. These exercises will build Power in the legs and overall strength.
Russian twist and planks are both good to strengthen your core. When you build them strong, they’ll provide you with balance and better posture.
Push-ups and rows are equally important for upper body strength. It is also important for better control that you need on the descent and descent trails.
Pro tip: You can also hit the gym at least 2-3 times a week for a well-rounded strength program.
Also read: Best warm-up exercises for biker
5. Train Your Cardiovascular System
You also want to train your cardiovascular fitness for mountain biking to increase your cycling stamina and endurance for long MTB rides.
Because when your heart and lungs are healthy, they will help you ride longer plus faster.
A healthy cardiovascular system will always help you ride longer and faster without getting tired too quickly.
When you ride a bike at high speeds, like in a race, it’s normal to breathe hard.
However, if your heart and lungs are in good shape, you’ll find it easier to maintain a steady pace without feeling out of breath.
Here are some exercises to boost your cardiovascular system:
Running and hiking can both help you build leg strength while improving your cardiovascular health.
However, I personally recommend running (I used to run around 5 km in the morning, but it was not just for mountain biking). It was for my overall fitness.
Swimming is another workout that you can do for a cardio-muscular system; it’s a low-impact but full-body workout.
It will also enhance endurance without stressing your joints. You can do it if you have problems with your joints, like you are too old.
Stationary biking is also a great way to improve your cardiovascular health, especially when the weather isn’t suitable for outdoor riding.
It mimics outdoor biking conditions and helps you to simulate longer rides from your home.
Also also:
6. Fuel Your Body Properly
Doesn’t matter how many mountain biking skills you have built, or how far you can ride, if you don’t eat a cyclist’s endurance diet, you won’t be able to sustain energy levels for long MTB rides.
Here are some nutritious foods for mountain bikers that will boost your energy.
Include healthy carbs in your diet (such as oats, rice, or pasta); you want to eat them around 2-3 hours before any long ride for sustained energy.
You can also carry energy gels, bars, sandwiches, or even trail mixes for quick fuel during your rides.
These simple snacks will keep your blood sugar stable while preventing fatigue.
Make sure to stay hydrated, as dehydration will impede your endurance. you can also carry a water bottle in a bag to drink in a way.
Pro tip: After a long ride, you can eat something that is protein-rich, lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, or even drink a scoop of whey protein powder for faster muscle recovery.
Being a physically demanding sports, muscle get to break down after a long ride, especially if riding involves technical sections
7. Focus on Recovery
Post-ride recovery for mountain bikers is where magic happens; without proper rest, your body won’t be able to perform, plus it will slow down your mountain biking endurance gains.
Therefore, you need to build a routine for that too.
Recovery Strategies:
Active Recovery Rides: You can take a low-intensity spin to keep your blood circulation normal and reduce muscle tightness without overexerting yourself.
Stretching and Foam Rolling: You need to do yoga, regular stretching, or foam rolling to improve your flexibility and to reduce muscle soreness (which we often feel after a long day ride).
Rest Days: You need to take at least one day off from mountain bike training and allow yourself to recover properly, but on that day, you can do simple yoga or stretching to keep your body active.
Pro Tip: Many people neglect sleep so you don’t want to make this step, as sleep plays one of the most important rules in muscle recovery, you can aim to sleep anywhere between 7-9 hours a night.
Also read: Injuries that are really common among mtb riders (how you can avoid)
8. Ride with Stronger Riders
One of the best ways to increase stamina for mountain biking is to ride with experienced MTB riders, who will push you beyond your cycling comfort zone.
You can find a group on facebook, or in your local friend circle, they will push you to keep going on and teach you new techniques.
How It Helps:
In a group, when you’re riding with other people while talking with each other, it will divert your mind, and because of that, you won’t focus on the discomfort or fatigue you might be feeling.
Plus, learning mtb skills is a bonus for experienced bikers.
When you’re riding with those who are already more experienced than you, so naturally they’ll be faster and have more stamina, this will also put you out of your comfort zone and will help you be more capable.
Riding a bike in a group also simulates a race, so you make more effort (because even if you’re weak as a beginner rider, you still don’t want to stay behind other group members).
This mindset also helps you build stamina for mountain biking.
Tip: Don’t worry if you’re the slow rider in the group, initially everyone is slow, so you don’t want to demotivate yourself.
Over time, when you keep riding with others, you’ll also be a pro rider with good endurance and stamina.
Also read: What happens when you ride a bike for 30 minutes every day?
9. Master Your Breathing Techniques
You need to have control over your breathing for endurance cycling, especially when you’re trying to ride longer, faster, or tackle steep MTB climbs.
It’s a small thing but really important.
How to breathe in the right way:
Instead of shallow chest breathing, you need to practice deep belly breathing; it will help you take more oxygen and stay calm under stress, which is really important for technical riding or when you’re with another rider (like in a race or experienced rider group).
You can also sync your breath with your pedal strokes to stay in the rhythm and relaxed.
You will simply inhale and exhale air at a consistent rate that matches your pedaling rhythm.
For example, you might inhale for two pedal strokes and exhale for the next two.
More importantly, you should focus on exhaling air properly to clear out carbon dioxide and prevent muscle fatigue.
Bonus Hack:
You can also practice breathing exercises like “box breathing.”
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4
- Exhale for 4
- Off the bike to increase lung capacity and control.
These exercises will help you manage stress and build stamina for long and tough rides.
Final Thoughts
Building stamina for mountain biking is crucial to enjoy long-distance MTB rides and tackle technical trails without fatigue.
However, if you want to increase stamina, you want to do interval training and strength workouts, get proper nutrition, and get 7-9 hours of sleep for better recovery.
Besides this, you also need to take at least one day off from exercise.
Keep in mind that you won’t get results overnight, even in just a week, but you shouldn’t give up and keep making continuous efforts.
You should keep riding more and more while taking proper nutrition and rest, then after two weeks or a month you will see noticeable results in your stamina.
You will notice that in the beginning, you were getting tired after riding a bike for 30 minutes, but after a month, you can ride at a higher speed for 60 minutes continuously, even without getting tired.
What’s the fastest way to increase stamina for mountain biking?
There is no magic bullet that can increase your stamina within 1 or 2 days.
It takes time to build stamina for mountain biking. Meanwhile, you need to keep focus on your lifestyle.
You want to do interval training at least 2-3 times a week. Besides this, you will also focus on strength training, especially your core and legs.
A good diet and proper sleep are important, too.
If you continuously follow all these things, then within a month, you will see noticeable growth. That’s the only fastest way to improve stamina.
How can I improve my climbing stamina for mountain biking?
If you want to increase MTB climbing endurance, find a small hill where you will do hill repeats for cycling strength, riding at speed for 30 seconds before recovering slowly, which will be your recovery period.
And you will repeat it at least 10 times, but it also depends on your own habit.
If you are new, you can just start with 10 times, and later increase it gradually. Besides this, you want to do strength training, targeting your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
If you practice all these things, you will be able to climb a hill without getting tired too quickly.
But make sure you also follow the right climbing technique, like climbing in a rhythm without breathing uncontrollably.
What should I eat to improve my stamina for mountain biking?
A high-energy MTB diet is important for cycling endurance, which also gives you long-lasting stamina on long-distance mountain bike trails.
That’s why you will need to consume complex carbohydrates like wholegrain, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. These things will provide you with sustained energy.
Plus, you should consume lean protein like chicken, fish, and beans for better muscle recovery and growth.
Also include healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds for hormone production and energy absorption.
Now you know the diet, but along with this, you can not avoid hydration.
You need to drink enough water. It is said that you need to drink at least 8 liters of water in a day.
But it depends on your climate too. So just depending on wherever you are, you need to keep hydrating yourself.
How often should I train to increase my mountain biking stamina?
Well, how many times you should train a week is dependent on your current fitness level.
You just want to keep in mind that recovery is very important, which you can’t neglect. So, if you are a beginner,
I would suggest that you train at least 3 days a week. Or if you are okay with this, then you can even go with 5 days training.
But ensure that you are taking a proper nutritious diet and rest.
