#46 - What are we polarizing in polarized endurance training? Dr Stephen Seiler

Dr Glenn McConell chats with Professor Stephen Seiler from the University of Agder in Norway. He is American who started his career in USA before moving to Norway almost 30 years ago. He points out that most exercise training research is based around university semesters with mainly untrained to trained transitions which is very different to what athletes do. Stephen coined the term polarized training in 2004 and makes the argument that this is the best way to train and that most world class endurance athletes train this way. This discussion is interesting to compare and contrast with recent episodes with A/Prof Andrew Coggan and Prof Michael Joyner who tend to say all roads lead to Rome. Twitter: @StephenSeiler

0:00. Introduction and welcome 2:09. Stephen’s excellent sports science website from back in 1995/6 4:30. How Stephen got into exercise research 7:12. David Costill 8:23. Stephens early heart research in rats then move to Norway 11:37. His time at the University of Texas in Austin 13:50. Debates about the best ways to train for endurance 17:20. Ex training research is based around university semesters 21:45. Norway: “Threshold training to much pain due too little gain” 22:50. Stephen coined the term polarized training in 2004. 23:45. Most endurance athletes do most training below LT1 24:20. Three zone and five zone exercise training models 29:10. Pyramidal training 30:45. Sharpening/tapering before races (more polarized) 32:43. Exercise training: signal versus stress 39:30. Manipulating training frequency, duration and intensity

41:03.Overtraining: maximum heart rate (parasympathetic hypersensitivity) etc

48:13. People starting out,  get them out the door and develop habit

53:20. Zones as VO2 max goes up

55:35. How know zones?, lactate?, HR, power (Andy Coggan), RPE, talking test

59:33. Hilly running/intervals, metallic taste in mouth, coughing

1:02:50. Do swimmers do polarized training though? David Costill

1:05:02. Polarized training. Approx 80/20 based on sessions, 90/10 based on time

1:08:30. Black hole intensity. Not really easy and not really hard

1:10;46. Threshold training pace, Importance of duration (intensity x duration). HRV

1:17:12.  Agrees with Andy Coggans points that lactic acid does not inhibit fat oxidation

1:19:32. Zone 2 and Inigo San Milan

1:22:50. Mitochondrial biogenesis, AMPK and calcium. Intensity vs volume

1:27:48. Cardiovascular drift/ uncoupling

1:30:35. But don't most athletes do pyramidal training?   

1:33:40. Race pace specificity

1:34:08. Isn't it logical that the larger the training volume the lower the average intensity?

1:38:40. Pro cyclists training averages only 65% of max HR

1:43:10. Lab evidence vs data from athletes Strava etc

1:44:25. Doing lots of threshold training causes stagnation/functional over reaching

1:48:06. Take the emotion / religion out re the importance of Zone 2. Importance of duration.

1:54:59. Outro (9 seconds)

Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all.

The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research.
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