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Effects of Two Endurance Training Programs on 5-km Running Performance in Recreational Runners
Sponsor: Shuqi Jia
Summary
This study will examine the effects of two 8-week endurance training programs on 5-km running performance in recreational runners. Participants will be randomly assigned to a lactate threshold training group, a pyramidal-to-polarized endurance training group, or a control group that maintains usual physical activity without receiving the study training program. Before and after the intervention, participants will complete assessments of 5-km running performance, aerobic fitness, lactate threshold, running economy, blood lactate responses, and brain activity recorded before and after maximal exercise. The study will compare changes among the three groups and examine whether physiological and post-exercise neural responses are associated with improvements in running performance. The main purpose is to determine whether the two training programs produce different improvements in 5-km running performance and to better understand the physiological and neural adaptations associated with endurance training in recreational runners.
Official title: Effects of Lactate Threshold Training and Pyramidal-to-Polarized Endurance Training on 5-km Running Performance, Physiological Capacity, and Post-exercise Neural Responses in Recreational Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 25 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
60
Start Date
2026-08
Completion Date
2026-11-08
Last Updated
2026-08-03
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Interventions
Lactate Threshold Training
Participants will complete an 8-week individualized endurance training program prescribed primarily around the lactate threshold. Training intensity will be determined from baseline physiological testing. The program will specify the frequency, duration, and intensity of each training session and will be adjusted according to the study protocol.
Pyramidal-to-Polarized Endurance Training
Participants will complete an 8-week individualized endurance training program in which the training-intensity distribution progresses from a pyramidal pattern during the initial phase to a polarized pattern during the later phase. Training intensity will be prescribed using individually determined physiological thresholds obtained from baseline testing. The program will include low-, moderate-, and high-intensity running sessions, with the relative distribution of training time across intensity zones adjusted according to the planned periodization. Training frequency, session duration, and intensity will be standardized according to the study protocol and monitored throughout the intervention.