Health & Medical Question

  • Term paper about endurance training planning for a person with no endurance training experience
  • The person can be fictional or real, but:
    • no current endurance training
    • no previous sport with a strong endurance component

Part 1: Diagnosis

1.1 General & biometric data (everything in tables)

Include:

  • age
  • gender
  • height
  • weight
  • occupation
  • training motivation
  • current physical activity
  • previous physical activity
  • performance level
  • available training time

Additionally:

  • measure resting heart rate + compare with normal values
  • measure blood pressure + compare with normal values
  • health status:
    • orthopedic problems
    • diseases
    • medications
    • limitations

1.2 Performance diagnostics / bicycle ergometer test

  • Choose one graded bicycle ergometer test
  • Explain why this test is suitable
  • Perform the test
  • Present the full test protocol in a table:
    • watt levels
    • heart rate
    • duration
    • workload, etc.
  • Compare the result with standard values

1.3 Health & performance status

Briefly evaluate:

  • How physically resilient is the person?
  • Is the person trainable?
  • Are there any limitations?

Part 2: Goals / Prognosis

Create 3 training goals:

  • different areas (e.g. pulse, weight, endurance)
  • goals must be SMART:
    • content
    • amount
    • timeframe

Example:

  • Reduce resting heart rate from 78 to 72 within 8 weeks

Additionally:

  • justify each goal
  • connect goals to motivation & health condition

Part 3: Training Plan

3.1 Mesocycle overview (minimum 8 weeks)

Create a table including:

  • duration
  • training goal
  • weekly training volume
  • training methods
  • intensity (%HRmax or %HR reserve)
  • training frequency
  • session duration
  • equipment / movement forms

3.2 Detailed mesocycle plan

For every training session include:

  • training day
  • training goal
  • training method
  • intensity
  • exact heart rate range
  • duration
  • exercise type/equipment

Important:

  • use at least 2 endurance training methods
  • include progression
  • interval training must specify:
    • interval duration
    • breaks
    • number of intervals

3.3 Justification of the mesocycle

Explain:

  • why these training zones?
  • why these methods?
  • why this training volume?
  • why this progression?
  • why these exercises/equipment?

Important:

  • use scientific sources
  • do not just repeat the tables

Part 4: Literature research

Topic:

  • Effects of endurance training in coronary heart disease (CHD)

Find 2 scientific primary studies and present them in tables:

  • author
  • year
  • research question
  • participants
  • study design
  • results
  • conclusion

Important:

  • only primary studies
  • no reviews or meta-analyses
  • full citations required

General important points

  • use the official ILIAS template
  • maximum 15 pages
  • no appendix
  • write academically
  • use correct citations
  • use tables
  • include references in text + bibliography