Retrospective Analysis of Training Intensity Distribution Based on Race Pace Versus Physiological Benchmarks in Highly Trained Sprint Kayakers

Manuel Matzka; Robert Leppich; Billy Sperlich; Christoph Zinner

doi:10.1186/s40798-021-00382-y

Retrospective Analysis of Training Intensity Distribution Based on Race Pace Versus Physiological Benchmarks in Highly Trained Sprint Kayakers

Sports Med Open. 2022 Jan 6;8(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00382-y.

Authors

Manuel Matzka¹, Robert Leppich², Billy Sperlich³, Christoph Zinner⁴

Affiliations

¹ Integrative and Experimental Exercise Science and Training, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
² Software Engineering Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
³ Integrative and Experimental Exercise Science and Training, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. billy.sperlich@uni-wuerzburg.de.
⁴ Department of Sport, University of Applied Sciences for Police and Administration of Hesse, Wiesbaden, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Research results on the training intensity distribution (TID) in endurance athletes are equivocal. This non-uniformity appears to be partially founded in the different quantification methods that are implemented. So far, TID research has solely focused on sports involving the lower-body muscles as prime movers (e.g. running). Sprint kayaking imposes high demands on the upper-body endurance capacity of the athlete. As there are structural and physiological differences between upper- and lower-body musculature, TID in kayaking should be different to lower-body dominant sports. Therefore, we aimed to compare the training intensity distribution during an 8-wk macrocycle in a group of highly trained sprint kayakers employing three different methods of training intensity quantification.

Methods: Heart rate (HR) and velocity during on-water training of nine highly trained German sprint kayakers were recorded during the final 8 weeks of a competition period leading to the national championships. The fractional analysis of TID was based on three zones (Z) derived from either HR (TID_Bla-HR) or velocity (TID_Bla-V) based on blood lactate (B_la) concentrations (Z1 ≤ 2.5 mmol L^-1 B_la, Z2 = 2.5-4.0 mmol L^-1 B_la, Z3 ≥ 4.0 mmol L^-1 B_la) of an incremental test or the 1000-m race pace (TID_Race): Z1 ≤ 85% of race pace, Z2 = 86-95% and Z3 ≥ 95%.

Results: TID_Bla-V (Z1: 68%, Z2: 14%, Z3: 18%) differed from TID_Bla-HR (Z1: 91%, Z2: 6%, Z3: 3%) in each zone (all p < 0.01). TID_Race (Z1: 73%, Z2: 20%, Z3: 7%) differed to Z3 in TID_Bla-V (p < 0.01) and all three TID_Bla-HR zones (all p < 0.01). Individual analysis revealed ranges of Z1, Z2, Z3 fractions for TID_Bla-HR of 85-98%, 2-11% and 0.1-6%. For TID_Bla-V, the individual ranges were 41-82% (Z1), 6-30% (Z2) and 8-30% (Z3) and for TID_Race 64-81% (Z1), 14-29% (Z2) and 4-10% (Z3).

Conclusion: The results show that the method of training intensity quantification substantially affects the fraction of TID in well-trained sprint kayakers. TID_Race determination shows low interindividual variation compared to the physiologically based TID_Bla-HR and TID_Bla-V. Depending on the aim of the analysis TID_Race, TID_Bla-HR and TID_Bla-V have advantages as well as drawbacks and may be implemented in conjunction to maximize adaptation.

Keywords: Endurance training; Polarized training; Pyramidal training; Sprint kayaking; Training zones; Upper-body sport.