title: Current Scientific Evidence for a Polarized Cardiovascular Endurance Training Model.
abstract: Recent publications have provided new scientific evidence for a modern aerobic or cardiovascular endurance exercise prescription that optimizes the periodization cycle and maximizes potential endurance performance gains in highly trained individuals. The traditional threshold, high volume, and high-intensity training models have displayed limited improvement in actual race pace in (highly) trained individuals while frequently resulting in overreaching or overtraining (physical injury and psychological burnout). A review of evidence for replacing these models with the proven polarized training model seems warranted. This review provides a short history of the training models, summarizes 5 key studies, and provides example training programs for both the pre- and in-season periods. A polarized training program is characterized by an undulating nonlinear periodization model with nearly all the training time spent at a "light" (≤13) and "very hard" (≥17) pace with very limited time at "hard" (14-16) or race pace (6-20 Rating of Perceived Exertion [RPE] scale). To accomplish this, the polarization training model has specific high-intensity workouts separated by one or more long slow distance workouts, with the exercise intensity remaining below ventilatory threshold (VT) 1 and/or blood lactate of less than 2 mM (A.K.A. below race pace). Effect sizes for increasing aerobic endurance performance for the polarized training model are consistently superior to that of the threshold training model. Performing a polarized training program may be best accomplished by: going easy on long slow distance workouts, avoiding "race pace" and getting after it during interval workouts.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Military Performance Division, Natick, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hydren
authors.forename: Bruce S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000379:methods* / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*