Effects of Two Endurance Training Programs on 5-km Running Performance in Recreational Runners

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07738640

Shuqi Jia60 enrolled

Overview

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.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Endurance Running Performance Exercise Training Adaptation

Interventions

Lactate Threshold TrainingBEHAVIORAL

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 TrainingBEHAVIORAL

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.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 25 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women aged \[18-30\] years. * Recreational runners with regular running or endurance-training experience for at least \[6 months\]. * Currently completing running training at least \[2-3 times per week\]. * Able to complete a continuous 5-km run. * Willing and able to complete the 8-week training intervention and all study assessments. * Able to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Current cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, neurological, or other medical conditions that may contraindicate maximal exercise or endurance training. * Current musculoskeletal injury or pain that limits running or participation in maximal exercise testing. * History of loss of consciousness, epilepsy, severe head injury, or other neurological conditions that may affect electroencephalographic recordings. * Use of medications or substances known to substantially affect cardiovascular, metabolic, or central nervous system responses to exercise. * Participation in another structured exercise intervention or clinical study during the study period. * Inability or unwillingness to comply with the assigned training program, testing procedures, or study requirements. * Any other condition judged by the investigators to make participation unsafe or to substantially affect the validity of the study outcomes.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in 5-km Running Performance

5-km running performance will be assessed using a maximal-effort self-paced 5-km run conducted on a standard 400-m outdoor athletics track. Completion time will be recorded in seconds. The primary outcome will be the change in 5-km completion time from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention. A lower completion time indicates better running performance.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Maximal Oxygen Uptake

Maximal oxygen uptake will be assessed during a graded cardiopulmonary exercise test performed to volitional exhaustion. Oxygen uptake will be measured breath-by-breath and expressed relative to body mass in milliliters per kilogram per minute. The outcome will be the change in maximal oxygen uptake from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Change in Lactate Threshold

Lactate threshold will be determined during an incremental running test using blood lactate measurements and the prespecified threshold-identification method described in the study protocol. The outcome will be the change in running speed or physiological intensity corresponding to the lactate threshold from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Change in Running Economy

Running economy will be assessed during steady-state submaximal treadmill running at a standardized speed. Oxygen uptake will be measured during the steady-state period and expressed relative to body mass. The outcome will be the change in oxygen cost of running from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention. A lower oxygen cost at the same running speed indicates better running economy.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Change in Post-exercise Blood Lactate Concentration

Capillary blood lactate concentration will be measured at prespecified time points before and after maximal exercise. The outcome will include changes in post-exercise blood lactate concentration and lactate recovery from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention. Blood lactate concentration will be expressed in millimoles per liter.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention, with measurements before exercise and at 5 and 20 minutes after exercise

Change in Post-exercise Electroencephalographic Activity

Resting electroencephalographic activity will be recorded before maximal exercise and during recovery after exercise. Prespecified electroencephalographic outcomes will include relative spectral power in selected frequency bands and cortical regions. The outcome will be the change in post-exercise electroencephalographic responses from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention.

Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention, with electroencephalographic recordings before exercise and at 5 and 20 minutes after exercise

Effects of Two Endurance Training Programs on 5-km Running Performance in Recreational Runners

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts