Abstract: Energy method is animportant method in the study of fatigue damage, and the emergingthermography technique can lend substantial support to itsimplementation. Infrared thermographic method as anon-destructive, real-time and non-contact testing technology hasbeen widely applied to fatigue research. In the recent years, somethermographic methodologies for rapid determination of the fatiguelimit of materials and mechanical components have been proposedand well developed and extended. This paper elucidates theemergence, evolution and further development of fatiguethermographic method, and presents main problems and current hottopics in the field. The future trends of this method are alsodiscussed.