{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:05:29Z","timestamp":1760058329934,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743465600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examined the differences in physiological, metabolic and running dynamics responses between level and inclined treadmill protocols and their implications for accurately determining training intensities. Twenty-three healthy, active adults (18 male and 5 female) from 25 to 59 years old (age: 42.7 years, height: 1.77 m, body mass: 71.9 kg, VO2max: 54.3 mL\u00b7kg\u22121\u00b7min\u22121) completed both protocols. Physiological markers (gas exchange threshold (GET), respiratory compensation point (RCP), VO2max), metabolic variables (HR, VO2, VCO2, RER, VE, speed) and running dynamic variables (running economy (RE), stride length (SL), ground contact time (GCT), cadence) were measured and matched for the external work rate at each stage. The data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey\u2019s post hoc procedure. No significant differences were observed in the physiological markers for the inclined and flat protocols across all the intensities. However, the metabolic variables showed significant differences (p = 0.0333 to &lt;0.0001) between the inclined and flat protocols at higher intensities. The RE was consistently improved in the flat protocol compared with the inclined protocol, with significant differences observed at the high-intensity stages (p = 0.0232 to &lt;0.0001). While the physiological markers remained unaffected, metabolic responses and running kinematics differed significantly between the protocols. These results highlight that training intensity zones derived from inclined protocols may not be appropriate for flat terrain training, underlining the importance of testing specificity in athlete preparation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life15040569","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,2]],"date-time":"2025-04-02T05:43:33Z","timestamp":1743572613000},"page":"569","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Effect of Specific Treadmill Protocol on Aerobic Performance Parameters in Flat-Terrain-Trained Athletes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3338-3306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming-Chang","family":"Tsai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Victoria, BC V9E 2C5, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Edward","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5564-4271","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Scott","family":"Thomas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate Department of Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 2W6, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"248","article-title":"Fractional utilization of the aerobic capacity during distance running","volume":"5","author":"Costill","year":"1972","journal-title":"Med. 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