Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42560532›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2026

The effectiveness of polarized versus high-intensity training in moderately trained cyclists: a randomized parallel-design study.

Andres Moran-MacDonald, Stuart Wilson, Zeyu Wu, Grace Haines, Lucas Beaupre, Joshua Aube, Carter Andrews, Noah Jonsson, Brendon J Gurd

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Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andres Moran-MacDonaldDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-6531-2016
Stuart WilsonDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5244-6416
Zeyu WuDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-7615-8306
Grace HainesDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Lucas BeaupreDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-7200-7233
Joshua AubeDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-8353-6127
Carter AndrewsDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Noah JonssonDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Brendon J GurdDepartment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. gurdb@queensu.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4008-7927

Funding

National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada 402635
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePolarized training intensity distribution (POL) typically involves 80% of endurance training volume to be spent in the Moderate intensity domain (MOD) and 20% to be in the Severe intensity domain-commonly performed as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). POL is popular in all endurance sports, but the independent contributions of MOD vs. HIIT on performance outcomes have not been experimentally tested. We therefore sought to compare training adaptions following HIIT with (POL) and without (HIIT) the addition of MOD cycling in moderately-trained endurance athletes.

methodsNineteen cyclists and triathletes (17 men) were recruited and randomly allocated to 3 days/week of HIIT with (POL) or without (HIIT) an additional 240 min/week of MOD cycling for 6 weeks. Time trial (TT) performance, peak work rate (WR

resultsBoth groups reduced their TT time by an average of 8.5 ± 1.2%. Despite the POL group performing ~ 23 more hours of training across 6 weeks, we did not observe any time*group interactions in TT performance, WR

conclusionsWe conclude that the addition of MOD training to a HIIT program does not yield further improvements in performance over a 6-week period. Performance improvements in a moderately trained population following 6 weeks of training appear to be driven primarily by the Severe-intensity component of training.

Indexed as

CyclingHIITLactate thresholdModerate intensityTime trial

Identifiers

PMID42560532

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.