EFFECTS OF POLARIZED TRAINING MICROCYCLE ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS IN AMATEUR MIDDLE-DISTANCE RUNNERS

Abstract

Polarized training (PT) is one type of training that could develop the performance of athletes who used endurance as their primary performance. Although PT had been widely utilized in elite endurance sports, its application in amateur populations remained underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polarized training (PT) on performance and mood among amateur middle-distance runners. Twenty-four male amateur runners were randomly assigned to either a polarized training group (PTG, n = 12) or a control group (CG, n = 12). The PTG followed a structured protocol with 80% low-intensity aerobic training (60–65% HRmax) and 20% high-intensity interval training (90–95% HRmax), distributed across training days within a microcycle, while the CG trained according to the general program. Measurements included maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) via the Yo-Yo IR1 test, 800 m and 1500 m time trials, and psychological status assessed by the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Both groups improved VO₂max throughout the period, and the improvements were significant (p < 0.05). The PTG showed higher VO₂max than the CG in the post-test (51.36 ± 1.45 mL/kg/min vs 50.63 ± 1.02 mL/kg/min) (p < .001). Both groups improved their 800-meter and 1500-meter trials throughout the period. For between-group comparisons, the PTG performed better than the CG in the post-test of the 800-meter time trial (PTG: 02:28.40 ± 0:9.28 vs CG: 02:36.51 ± 0:12.79) (p = 0.013). In terms of POMS, the PTG demonstrated significantly lower total POMS scores than the CG (p < .005), particularly in tension, depression, anger, vigor, self-esteem, confusion, and total mood disturbance. These findings suggested that PT was effective in enhancing aerobic fitness, event-specific performance, and moods among amateur middle-distance runners, and that coaches should consider adopting PT protocols with structured microcycles to optimize both physical and psychological outcomes.

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