Heart Rate Vs. Race Pace-Based Prescription Training in Recreational Distance Runners

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Fitness; Running Endurance; Exercise Response; Athletic Performance

Treatments: Other: Race Pace-based training; Other: Heart Rate-Based Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07109089

IND/22HUM-23661

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to compare adherence to training prescription-defined as the percentage of time spent within the prescribed intensity zone-using either a race pace-based method or a heart rate-based method in male and female recreational distance runners.

The main research questions are:

• Which training prescription method leads to greater adherence in recreational runners?
• Which method results in more accurate execution of low- and high-intensity interval training sessions?

Participants will undergo anthropometric and physiological assessments to determine training zones based on ventilatory thresholds. In addition, a 5-km time trial will be performed on a standard track to establish individual race pace zones.

Enrollment: 37 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy male and female recreational endurance runners
• minimum of four training sessions per week
• at least three of consistent endurance training experience

Exclusion criteria

• current smokers
• diagnosed metabolic disorders
• any cardiovascular, pulmonary, or orthopedic condition that may interfere with exercise performance or safety

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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37 participants in 2 patient groups

Race Pace Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants follow a training program based on race pace zones, including both low-intensity sessions and high-intensity intervals.

Treatment:

Other: Race Pace-based training

Heart Rate Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants follow a training program based on heart rate zones, including both low-intensity sessions and high-intensity intervals.

Treatment:

Other: Heart Rate-Based Training