This is an 8 week training protocol and we presume the athlete has already undergone a training program which has built a strong endurance base.
The programme devised for the athlete is simplistic in order to be easily understood by the athlete. The major goals of the athlete are to quite simply to increase their running velocity over a half marathon distance by their competition period in week 8. The major training goal as described above is tightly manipulated within this training programme via the utilisation of a periodised regime which will aid the athlete to accomplish the goal by following some regulated training principles which will be described.
Maximal oxygen uptake lactate threshold and running economy are three variables which explain the between subject variance in long distance running performance by over 70%, therefore training programmes prescribed should reflect the enhancements of these factors (Midgley et al 2007). Although VO2 allows the scientist to gauge accurate exercise intensities and cardiovascular function other factors must be taken into consideration to improve endurance capacity such as speed mitochondrial density body composition and resistance to fatigue (Brooks et al 2005). Rather than utilising a trial and error approach this training programme is based upon convincing scientific evidence which has developed over the many years of sports science. Mode, frequency duration and intensity are essential components to exercise training (Wisloff, 2009) within this training programme.
The reason that the training programme follows a periodisation planner is so that the athlete will avoid overtraining and maximise their performance in the given period of 8 weeks so that the desired goal and targets can be accomplished. Although not well documented conversely highly popular, periodisation is a method which allows tracking of performance gains, historical data can be analysed upon the effectiveness of this particular protocol in increasing the athletes performance via the successes and challenges a more radical programme can be prescribed in the future with the aim of continual performance improvements whilst maintaining health and reducing injury risks are all within view for the athlete.
Please find below the major aims of the meso-cycle and micro cycles included within this programme which provides a snap shot of the programme on the spreadsheet attached. One block or period of work directly and very purposefully leads into the proceeding period of work to establish elite training physicality for the athlete. In addition please find the evidence which indeed surrounds the training depicted. This serves as a guide to illustrate the rationale behind all components in the programme, and supports the phases of training which the athlete is to accomplish through to competition.
Whilst most of the programme prescribes exercise based on substantial evidence found within the literature, it cannot be forgotten that the athlete stands as an individual therefore preferences must be tailored to suit the physiological and also the psychological requirements of the athlete.
WEEKS 1-2 PREPARATION PRE CONDITIONING PERIOD
(transitioning into specific phase)
• Continue preparation base
• High Volume low intensity training measured by HR and RPE scales
• Moderate specificity
According to the training pyramid, and assuming that the athlete has already has chronic endurance adaptations, the athlete will be transitioning from the very last stages of the preparation period to the competition period in which case the training protocols will differ with reference to time, duration intensity volume and specificity. Typically we would expect the athlete to have increased the activation of motor unit frequency allowing for an increase in mitochondrial proteins within which glycolytic enzymes (Brooks et al 2005). Here the intensity and volume of training plus duration is particularly important as it will influence the motor unit activation within the muscle which will in turn prompt the adaptive response of the oxidative system improving the athlete’s endurance capabilities. Essentially these adaptations will delay muscle acidosis increase the athletes capacity to oxidise FFA thus allow for glycogen sparing (Brooks et al 2005) all factors are at the pinnacle of the programme focus as they are performance enhancing. Endurance training demand of this programme will allow the athlete to sustain sub maximal VO2 based training intensity, in fact highly trained athletes have been shown to increase their muscle fibre type slow twitch, fast twitch type a and fast twitch type b fourfold (Brooks et al 2005) of which will allow or glycogen sparing and FFA utilisation. Remembering the absolute aims of this training are to increase the velocity over the working half marathon distance the adaptations from sub maximal training have been considered.
During weeks 1-2 of the programme which is the last episode of the preparation period must be established by the athlete and this is reflected by training load, intensity and volume. Training intensity is measured via heart rate which increased with exercise intensity and oxygen consumption. Helgerud et al (2007) firmly suggest that VO2 Max is directly related to intensity, duration and frequency of training, which aids the justification of the utilisation of the results derived from the testing to be used to form a reference point for several of the training program interventions. It is important to note that heart rate increases then levels off at the same work rate during sub maximal exercise (Brooks et al 2005). The volume of training is high so that it creates a strong basis for the intense training which is to follow. The volume is high and the intensity medium to prevent the athlete from over training.
A medium intensity means training over a sub maximal VO2 allowing the athlete to practice running over the half marathon distance for physiological adaptations to occur via the ‘overload’ principle, where the athlete stresses the system in order for steady state adaptations to continue occur (note the physiological adaptations to some degree have already been established as the athlete has a previous training history of endurance training).
Physiological adaptations for training at a sub-maximal level are training in specific heart rate zones which directly reflect the ACSM guidelines, that is; training below the ventilation threshold (Lanao et al 2005)which has been deemed as training at a moderate to low intensity. Sub-maximal training loads have been quantified upon the basis of the initial exercise testing performed, the athlete will utilise the HR training zones to reflect these sub-maximal ventilatory zones according to the ACSM guidelines, that calculating the % heart rate reflects the % VO2 max, in other words 60, 80 and 87.5% of VO2 max values derived during testing will correspond to 70, 85 and 92.5% HR Max during training . Laneo et al reported a significant correlation between cumulative training time at low intensities and endurance performance.
RPE scales serve as an excellent guide for the athlete , RPE is a physiologically solid tool for prescribing exercise intensity (Zeni et al 1996). Paley (1997) confirms that using RPE is a much more practical method than others for measuring exercise intensity for exercise prescription. Important to note that, RPE scale cannot be used as an independent measure of tracking exercise intensity this is the exact reason why it is to be utilised by the athlete in conjunction with HR in order to more accurately track correct training intensities . The athlete must receive the correct training upon RPE scale utilisation of exercise intensity, as the training intensity is high for supramaximal and interval based training, the fact that managing HR intensities may not always reflect upon the correct heart rate merging both of these tools, seems like a better performance measure. The athlete will be coached of the optimal techniques to in order to self administer and measure the correct exercise intensity with RPE. RPE will be especially used here but more importantly will be compared with HR so that the athlete can monitor their adherence to the RPE scale so that they optimise their training time and maximise the expected results from this form of training.
The athlete performs cross training that is a mixture between the bike and the treadmill with their training plan, since volume of loading is high and thus prevention of injury is initiated by differentiating the muscle groups used thereby preventing overtraining and minimising impact forces from running as much as possible within reason.
WEEKS 3-5 PRE COMPETITION SPECIFIC PHASE OF TRAINING
(Transitioning into competition phase)
• Moderate Volume
• Moderately Specific
• Moderate to high intensity
During weeks 3-5 specificity is of a major emphasis. The athlete will require a further increase in loading and intensity and will begin to train in the ‘anaerobic non steady state zone’. The athlete will perform this part of their programme by use their HR percentage (an accurate percentage is calculated as we are using VO2 max test as a form of measurement. The % VO2 max is 70, 80 and 90% VO2 for intensive training sessions whilst we must maintain moderate volume within their training so that the physiological adaptations of run economy and strength and cardiovascular gains are not hindered during this phase, in other words the athlete trains 60, 80 and 87.5% of VO2 max and uses HR training plus RPE to monitor this requirement.
Running economy improvement has been included as a strong focus for this athletes training program. It has been found that running economy can positively affect running performance in endurance runners (Saunders et al 2004), running economy can commonly be defined as the steady state VO2 in millilitres per kilogram at a standard velocity or as an energy cost of running, Helgerud (2007) and can be defined as the energy demand for a given velocity of sub maximal running. The reason who running econ
Resistance training is also on the ‘menu’ due to the fact that the runner will be required to attack hills and sprint during the latter stages of their run. Positive muscular adaptations in the form of improved anaerobic enzyme activity increased force production intramuscular glycogen and shifts between fibre types (Yamamoto et al 2008). Yamamoto et al (2008) suggest that resistance based training aids explosive strength required for quicker run velocities, moreover the establishment of strength for the endurance athlete will aid an improvement within running economy . Paavolainen (1999) agree with these findings they found improvements in maximal anaerobic velocity directly translated into improved running economy (p>0.05) during their tests on experienced endurance athletes. The reason why this study was preferred to illustrate this described factor is the fact that the author included a control group within their study which to some degree makes the evidence stronger. Helgerud (2007) et al suggests that work economy is improved by maximal strength gains and force development.
Calculating a specific power output which will illicit a steady state response is required and this is derived from VO2. Cross training and strength endurance is used for this athlete in order to reinforce this strong base of preparation created in the previous weeks. This takes the form of strength training with weights and x/training on the bike rower and x-trainer. The advantages of utilising the bike rower and cross trainer is that the athlete will be able to calculate their power more easily, important because ensures the athlete is training at a steady state VO2.
Plyometric training will be included in order to increase the elasticity in the legs helping to improve power and more importantly running economy. This will allow the athlete to run at higher velocities with no other rise in VO2. PNF stretching will also be used for these purposes.
High Intensity Interval training has been included strong evidence suggests improvements in vo2 peak and the maximal activity of mitochondrial enzymes in skeletal muscle (Gibala 2008) which will directly affect the performance of the athlete because VO2 peak plus the increase in mitochondria directly relate to the oxidative capacity in individuals . Gibala & McGee (2008) have shown dramatic improvements in endurance performance during utilisation these methods in cyclists and runners. Lunn et al (2009) found that supramaximal sprint interval training (SIT) initiates positive changes in aerobic and anaerobic power outputs. (Wisloff, 2009) agree that high intensity interval training induces large benefits to the heart compared with training at compared with training at low to moderate exercise training intensities. Lunn et al demonstrated in their 34 subject study on experienced cyclists that indeed cyclists were able to utilise SIT as singular training interventions to effect significant (p>0.05) increases in anaerobic power to weight ratio. Swart et al (2009) showed significant differences between randomly assigned groups, which compared measuring power during the high intensity intervals or measuring heart rate over the intervals would be the best option for measuring intensity accurately for high intensity interval training programmes, both intervention but not the control groups improved their relative peak workload significantly by 3.5-5% respectively. Swart et al (2009) suggest that although performance is improved via this training method, measuring power and heart rates both have their limitation over a 6 month period, whereby power is a more direct method of prescribing training a potential limitation of this method is that power output training zones change significantly over a relatively short time period, although heart rate based training zones remain relatively stable over time. In light of this HR has been utilised to prescribe HITT for this athlete.
Here is variation of the interval training methods on the bike where the Wingate test will formulate the basis of the intervals plus sprint training. Due to the fact that there is stationary bike training used for the interval training this reflects the cross training which is included within the programme.
COMPETITION PHASE
Weeks 6-8
• High Intensity
• Very Low Volume
• Highly Specific
The athlete will continue with supramaximal based training which has been practiced in the previous period, reflecting the high intensity prescribed within the programme for this particular phase of the training protocol. The supramaximal training intensities will be magnified (up to HR intensities of 130% and RPE scales of 18) to try to win extra performance gains and thus volume of training will be low as to prevent a negative effect of training. Specificity is approached in the form of high intensity sprint training rather than so much work on the bike replicating the nature of the run based activity.
Sprints up hills for 15s upto 2 minute will be included to try to surge the cardiovascular gains as described above (sit) followed by very light runs and short runs reasons for this are explained as above, the purpose being that the athlete along with their prescribed recovery can excel within their races.
During weeks 6-8 the athlete will require a tapering of their training in order for adaptation responses to occur the training which occurs in the previous) high intensity supramaximal training will be performed followed by active recovery runs in order to stimulate the desired response.
Recovery forms a real focus of the training in the pre-competition weeks,. Tapering of training in the form of increased active recovery days and also increased recovery between exercises on the same training day has been included for this athlete. There is much evidence upon the effects of training interventions, however there seems to be a lack of evidence supporting the optimal recovery for athletes, however of the evidence which exists Bishop et al(2008) speculate that improved recovery may result improvement of performance, we must understand the predictors of central and peripheral fatigue in order to prescribe an optimal recovery regimen for the athlete so that performance is enhanced plus training status which is build in the weeks preceding the competition phase are not diminished, whilst Vollard et al (2006) suggest that there has been progress in defining the optimal reduction in training frequency, volume and Intensity of training during a taper in pre- competition phases however the physiological mechanics surrounding this are poorly understood. According to Vollaar et al (2009) physical exercise is associated with in an increased production in the reactive oxygen species, which are highly reactive substances that have the capacity to ox datively modify compounds in the body.
If there are any areas of the programme or the information I have described which is difficult to understand please feel free to let me know I will be more than happy to explain my concepts.
REFERENCES
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