Intensity for Senior Athletes

Joe Friel, a renowned endurance coach and author, emphasises the importance of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for senior athletes over 50. He suggests that older athletes should not solely rely on long, slow distance (LSD) training, as this can lead to a faster decline in aerobic capacity

Friel recommends incorporating HIIT into the training regimen of senior athletes, but with careful consideration of dose and density:

1. Dose: This refers to the intensity of the workout. Friel suggests starting conservatively with lower-dose HIIT sessions, such as 5 x 30 seconds at zone 1 with 1-minute recoveries
2. Density: This refers to the frequency of high-intensity workouts. While younger athletes might do HIIT twice a week, Friel recommends a lower density for seniors, suggesting HIIT once every nine days or once every two weeks

While Friel doesn’t provide exact percentages for low and high-intensity training, he emphasizes the need for balance. He advises senior athletes to start conservatively with HIIT and gradually increase intensity and frequency over months, not days or weeks

This approach allows older athletes to reap the benefits of HIIT while minimizing the risk of overuse injuries. It’s important to note that Friel’s recommendations are based on the individual athlete’s capacity and should be adjusted accordingly. The key is to incorporate some high-intensity work to maintain aerobic capacity while being patient and consistent with the training approach