Justine Schneider, Friederike Rosenberger, Joachim Wiskemann, Nikolai Bauer, Kathrin Schlüter
Journal: European journal of sport science 2025;25(5):e12287
PMID: 40198065
This randomised controlled trial investigated how different training intensities affect endurance in survivors of breast and prostate cancer. It aimed to compare the effects of polarized training and threshold training, on endurance capacity. A total of 55 participants (28 breast cancer survivors and 27 prostate cancer survivors, mean age around 60 years) were randomly assigned to either a polarized training group (n=27) or a threshold training group (n=28).
The polarized group did not actually achieve the planned polarized training pattern during the study, instead, their training naturally settled into a pyramidal pattern (a related but distinct intensity distribution). For this reason, the study effectively compared pyramidal training with threshold training, rather than polarized training as originally planned.The results showed that both the pyramidal and threshold training groups achieved similar significant improvements in endurance over the 12-week period.
In conclusion, structured endurance training, whether following a pyramidal or threshold intensity pattern, significantly improves endurance capacity in breast and prostate cancer survivors, with no clear advantage of one approach over the other. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand how structured cycling-based endurance training can support meaningful improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness for cancer survivors, offering some flexibility in programme design.
This study aimed to compare the effects of isocaloric polarized and threshold training intensity distribution on endurance capacity in breast and prostate cancer survivors. A total of 28 breast and 27 prostate cancer survivors were randomly assigned to a polarized (POL, n = 27 (13 women), age 60 ± 8 years, peak oxygen uptake (VO) 23 mL·min kg), or threshold training group (ThT, n = 28 (15 women), age 59 ± 10 years, VO 23 mL·min kg) who completed two sessions per week on a cycle ergometer over 12 weeks. Exercise duration was adapted to obtain equivalent energy expenditure in both groups. Cardiopulmonary exercise and verification tests were performed to determine endurance capacity (VO, peak power output (PPO), ventilatory threshold (VT), blood lactate thresholds (LT and IAT)), and maximal exhaustion. POL did not achieve the planned polarized intensity distribution and rather performed a pyramidal training. Pyramidal and threshold training significantly (p < 0.001) improved endurance capacity regarding VO (0.09 and 0.12 L·min), PPO (27 and 17W), power output at VT (11 and 13W), oxygen uptake at VT (0.09 and 0.11 L·min), power output at LT (7 and 12W), and power output at IAT (12 and 14W). No difference was found between groups, but ThT required significantly (p < 0.001) less time than pyramidal training to achieve the described improvements (59 ± 1 min/week vs. 76 ± 11 min/week). Comparison of isocaloric training intensity distributions revealed no significant differences between groups (Pyramidal: 170 ± 43 kJ/session, ThT: 175 ± 35 kJ/session, p = 0.10). Pyramidal and isocaloric threshold training resulted in comparable effects on endurance capacity in cancer survivors, with ThT requiring significantly less time for these effects.
© 2025 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.
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