12 | Journal of Personal Training Summer 2016 Endurance Athlete Training Zones for Long-Distance Competition P roperly quantifying an endurance athlete’s training zones or “gears” when preparing for a marathon or similar long-distance event requires specific procedures and calculations. Interest- ingly, many methods for training elite endurance sport athletes are based on empirical evidence and routines shared among athletes. There is a comparative lack of published peer-reviewed literature on the subject as research relies on the stringency of the scientific method; which often creates limitations to real-world applications for coaching and conditioning. For example, research often emphasizes VO 2 max values when examining improvements in aerobic capacity, but many coaches prefer monitoring progress using heart rates (HR) or movement speeds for simplicity. The following information relies on strategies applied by successful coaches with progressively improved race times functioning as the supporting evidence for improved endurance event performance. PART ONE CEUQuiz
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12 | Journal of Personal Training Summer 2016
Endurance AthleteTraining Zones
for Long-DistanceCompetition
Properly quantifying an endurance athlete’s training zones or
“gears” when preparing for a marathon or similar long-distance
event requires specific procedures and calculations. Interest-
ingly, many methods for training elite endurance sport athletes are
based on empirical evidence and routines shared among athletes.
There is a comparative lack of published peer-reviewed literature on
the subject as research relies on the stringency of the scientific
method; which often creates limitations to real-world applications for
coaching and conditioning. For example, research often emphasizes
VO2max values when examining improvements in aerobic capacity,
but many coaches prefer monitoring progress using heart rates (HR)
or movement speeds for simplicity. The following information relies
on strategies applied by successful coaches with progressively
improved race times functioning as the supporting evidence for
improved endurance event performance.
P A R T O N E
CEUQuiz
Summer 2016 Journal of Personal Training | 13
Discerning appropriate trainingzones among endurance athletes ismore intricate than simply using thefitness formulas common to healthyadults in the general population. Thephysiological aspects most associatedwith success during endurance per-formance include the athlete’s aerobiccapacity, anaerobic threshold andmovement economy. Since VO2max initself is not a primary predictor of suc-cess (except among lower-level athletesexhibiting broad ranges 15-20ml/kg/min), it is the relative percentageof VO2max an athlete can sustain, orhighest tolerable speed that mattersmost among the competitive elite. Ath-letes with VO2max values ranging from45-60 ml/kg/min can all run a 6:00-mile pace which indicates movementeconomy will significantly impact therace outcome. In any case, trainingmust include stressors that elicit im-provements in each area. The trainingzones in the following figure and cov-ered in this article have been found toimprove each relevant variable andpromote success when properly used toprepare for a long-distance race.
In the following analysis of eachtraining zone, percentages of the ath-lete’s VO2max or heart rate max(HRmax) as well as rate of perceivedexertion (RPE) using the Borg scale areused. In order to apply percentages onemust first calculate or estimate themaximal value or capacity. For HRmax(often preferred) and VO2max, a coachcan obtain a direct measure using anappropriate cardiovascular fitness test,such as the Astrand test. Otherwise, anathlete or coach can simply add 5 beatsto the highest HR previously reachedduring a competitive event for aHRmax, or multiply a known 5K pace
by 0.985 for a VO2max pace.
Remember, outside of the labora-tory setting many training values areactually educated estimates. The Borgscale includes subjective values of per-ceived exertion and is therefore a greatpredictor of fatigue - which is largelypsychological in nature as exercise tol-erance is very difficult to quantify. RPEis preferred among athletes on medica-tions that impact HR values or in situa-tions where no HR monitors ormeasurements are desired. The scaleruns from 6-20, which by adding azero, loosely reflects HR per minute.
The aerobic limit is essentially ametabolic junction where fat use peaksjust before glycogen becomes the pre-dominant fuel source. This junction,often called FATmax is reached atabout 65% VO2max, 80% of HRmax,or a value of 14 if using RPE monitor-ing. Crossing this point means lactateproduction begins to exceed musculardisposal rates, but not total-body rate,so the athlete will feel very mild dis-comfort. Lactate actually functions inthe process of clearance as it will beused by the heart, kidneys, brain andother aerobic cells allowing breathingto remain relatively relaxed as systemicacidosis will not occur. Zone 1 train-ing represents long slow distance(LSD) training or recovery runs usedin between Zone 2 or 3 sessions. It isoften the bulk of an endurance ath-
lete’s regimen at the beginning of aprogram to develop a conditioningbase that promotes glycogen sparingand slow twitch fiber hypertrophy.
For many athletes, training in thiszone will feel too easy but will obtainnumerous benefits – coaches will oftenneed to instruct the athlete to slowdown. Zone 1 training allows for im-proved postural endurance, movementeconomy, hypertrophy and vascular-ization of slow-twitch fibers, fat oxida-tion for glycogen preservation, andasynchronized motor unit firing pat-terns to greatly preserve energy. Dueto the slower speed it should be under-stood that postural adjustments mayincrease the need for peripheral mus-cular endurance. Many will find thispace about 1:00-1:30 min/mile slowerthan their marathon or race pace.
T R A I N I N G
Aerobic LimitPace
Anaerobic ThresholdPace
VO2max IntervalPace
Key training zones to be identified when preparingfor a marathon or other long-distance event:
14 | Journal of Personal Training Summer 2016
On average, elite marathon runnersspend about 80% of their training timein this zone to reach their necessarymileage per week while sparing ade-quate glycogen. However, excess aerobic limit training can reduce theathlete’s power, maximal speed, andfat-free mass as well increase the riskfor endocrine disruptions or skeletalimbalances. In addition to the physio-logical measures listed previously, thesteps shown in the figure can also beused to refine the calculation of an aerobic limit heart rate based on personalized factors.
Anaerobic threshold represents awork rate that is high enough to pro-mote total-body lactate/hydrogen ionaccumulation and systemic acidity. Itis essentially another metabolic shiftwhere aerobic metabolism must besupplemented with anaerobic energy, as the steady-state condition is lost.This usually occurs at about 85% ofVO2max, 92% of HRmax or an RPEvalue of 17. These values can varybased on the athlete’s buffering capac-ity and previous training. As ventila-tory threshold is reached at this higherwork intensity it becomes difficult forthe athlete to “catch their breath.” Thissupports why the talk test is often usedto estimate if an athlete is crossing theiranaerobic threshold - if an athlete canhear their own breathing and finds itdifficult to articulate full sentences theyhave reached anaerobic threshold. In any case, increasing acidosis due tosystemic lactate and hydrogen ion accu-mulation ultimately forces the athleteto stop or slow down. The culminationof high HR, ventilation rate, type IIfiber recruitment, respiratory muscleoxygen demand, and glycogen use surpass a critical point. Better condi-tioned athletes can sustain this work-load for a while but will ultimately hit a
point where systemic acidity prevails.
Zone 2 training is integral as mostendurance events require significantanaerobic support; especially duringthe final sprint at the end of a race. Ahigher anaerobic threshold equalshigher tolerable speeds during the en-tire event. Zone 2 training sessions in-clude tempo runs and short intervalslasting 30-120 seconds interspersedwith bouts of lower-intensity jogging orcomplete recovery using a 3:1 work-restratio. The length and duration oftempo runs can vary between 1-2 milesto upwards of an hour working at a
pace similar to race pace. It is recom-mended to not exceed 60 minutes ofZone 2 training each week, which willequate to about 10% of total trainingvolume (including recovery intervals).Excess work at this intensity can easilypromote non-functional overreachingor overtraining, severely deplete glyco-gen, and reduce the ability to use fat asa fuel. Benefits of appropriate Zone 2training can include increased poweroutput, fatigue resistance among type IIfibers, caloric expenditure, and exercisetolerance via a reduced sensitivity toacidosis.
T R A I N I N G
Subtract the athlete’s age from 180 (180 - age)
Steps to calculate an aerobic limit HR:
Recovering from a major illness, disease, operation or taking aregular medication = subtract 10 bpm
Novice, deconditioned due to injury, or high susceptibility toupper respiratory tract infections/allergies = subtract 5 bpm
Trained at least 4x/week without injury for up to 2 years, does notsuffer from colds more than 2x/year = no value change
Trained for >2 years without any injury and has beenmaking progress in the program = add 5 bpm
Summer 2016 Journal of Personal Training | 15
Zone 3 training includes shortbouts of work at very high intensities.The VO2max interval pace is roughlyequal to the speed an athlete can main-tain for 1.5-2.0 miles, or 3,000 meters.Training status, sport-specificity andother variables will cause some vari-ance between athletes but this pace cannormally be sustained for 5-10 min-utes. If using HRs to estimate Zone 3session intensities, the athlete should beabout 5 bpm below their measuredHRmax during work intervals. To de-termine the intensity using movementspeeds, take the athlete’s VO2max paceand divide it by 1.12 (Example: 6:00mile pace ÷ 1.12 = 5:36 mile pace).The VO2max pace is best determinedby having the athlete perform a maxi-mal-effort 3,000-m time trial (as alluded to previously) as this is themaximal length an elite athlete cancover while at their VO2max.
Usually, Zone 3 training includes5-10 minute bouts of work at orslightly above VO2max interspersedwith full, passive recovery periods. In-tervals can be performed up to about125% of VO2max for 2-5 minutesusing a 1:1 work-rest ratio. For exam-ple, a runner performing a 1600-m runin six minutes on the track at 110% of
their VO2max pace would then recoverfor six minutes before performing theirnext 1600-m effort. The physiologicalstress of Zone 3 training warrants thatit is limited to about 8% of the totaltraining volume, and is generally notrecommended for use until Zone 2work has been performed for at leastfour weeks for proper acclimation.Considering the recovery periods usedare passive, they are not included in theestimation of training volume.
When applied appropriately, manyimportant benefits are obtained with
training at or above one’s VO2max.These can include an increase in strokevolume, blood plasma volume, oxygentransport efficiency, buffering capabili-ties, and fatigue resistance among fast-twitch muscle fibers, as well as areduction in muscle respiratory workto spare oxygen for peripheral muscu-lature. Training in this zone will accel-erate the rate by which the athlete’scardiovascular fitness improves, but ifperformed too early in the program he or she may peak prematurely beforethe race.
There is one final pace or zoneused among elite athletes that it is notcategorically considered one of thethree primary training gears but is nec-essary for competing in events >10miles; a marathon pace. Marathonpace work is generally performed atabout 80-85% of VO2max or 88% ofHRmax. Although elite marathon run-ners spend most of their training inZone 1, it is important that they per-form some work at actual race pace tooptimize muscle recruitment and
movement economy specific to theevent (event specificity). A perilousflaw would be training to run 26.2miles (or even a half marathon) with-out ever working at the actual racingpace. Most coaches understand thatmarathon runners should progresstheir LSD or Zone 1 runs to 18-22miles, and perform 4-6 runs of that dis-tance before the competitive event.However, another important goalshould be to perform 2-4 runs of 12-16miles, at the desired marathon pace.
T R A I N I N G
16 | Journal of Personal Training Summer 2016
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Endurance AthleteTraining Zones
for Long-DistanceCompetition
Part 1
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The following table summarizes the physiological indicators associated with the three primary training zones discussed. Applyingthese training zones within an appropriate periodized program and applicable adjunct work will be addressed in a later article as thescope would open up to a level of discussion unfit for a single reading. It should also be understood that suitable nutrient intake, rehydration and sleep are just as important as the training itself.
