Abstract.[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of muscle strength training and muscle endurance training on muscle deoxygenation level and endurance performance. [Subjects and Methods] Nineteen healthy young men were randomly assigned to a muscle strength training (STR: n = 6) group, muscle endurance training (END: n = 6) group, or a control (CON: n = 7) group. The training intensity for STR was 60°/sec × 10 repetitions × 5 sets/day and that for END was 240°/sec × 50% fatigue repetitions × 2 sets/day, 3 days/week, for 6 weeks. All subjects performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) to measure maximum oxygen uptake, exercise time and muscle deoxygenation level of vastus lateralis, and underwent muscle strength and muscle endurance measurements pre-and post-training. [Results] In the STR group, muscle strength tended to increase, while muscle endurance significantly increased in the END group. Muscle deoxygenation level was significantly increased in both training groups. Maximum oxygen uptake did not change; however, in the END group alone, exercise time was significantly prolonged.[Conclusion] These results suggest that muscle endurance training is more effective at increasing endurance performance than muscle strength training.

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