During a team sports game or sports such as tennis, an athlete spends time in different proportions in all four zones (or intensities); so the question is in which zone do you spend most of your time? Well, this is a sports specific question. Also, during a game, the athlete can spend a good portion of time just walking slowly or standing still, using that time to recover. As a general guideline for most team sports, the time spent in the different zones fall within a relative narrow range. The table presented below shows a general range for team sports, as well as a rough time distribution during a game of soccer.
Middle and long distance runners also train in different proportions in the four primary zones, and for comparison purposes, approximate training time distribution for runners are shown in the table. Use these distributions with care, since the distributions can vary significantly from runner to runner, primary due to the differences in capacities, training techniques and distance objectives.
Time Basis Distribution
| General Team Sports | Soccer Game | Long Distance Runner | Middle Distance Runner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 Aerobic Conditioning | 27% to 34% | 30% | 55% | 44% |
| Zone 2 Anaerobic Conditioning | 41% to 51% | 48% | 30% | 34% |
| Zone 3 Aerobic Capacity | 13% to 20% | 15% | 11% | 14% |
| Zone 4 Anaerobic Capacity | 5% to 12% | 7% | 4% | 8% |
Note that the above values are based on how much time is spent in each zone.
Distance Basis Distribution
| General Team Sports | Soccer Game | Long Distance Runner | Middle Distance Runner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 Aerobic Conditioning | 21% to 27% | 25% | 50% | 40% |
| Zone 2 Anaerobic Conditioning | 41% to 51% | 48% | 32% | 35% |
| Zone 3 Aerobic Capacity | 15% to 23% | 17% | 13% | 15% |
| Zone 4 Anaerobic Capacity | 7% to 18% | 10% | 5% | 10% |
Note that the above values are based on how much distance is covered in each zone.
One's selection of training zones should try to mimic as much as possible the zones that one's sport uses, i.e. try to be sports specific in your training, leaning towards or somewhat exceeding the high end of zones 3 and 4; e.g., if in a game one spends time 14% running and 7% sprinting, in training consider running 16% to 18% of the time and 8% to 9% sprinting. In other words, in training drills such as the Fartlek Drill, use a time intensity level one or two steps higher.
Consult with your trainer to determine your sports specific range.
The next section presents some recommended drills for training for team sports.