Can zone training help improve my athletic performance?

Yes, zone training can help improve athletic performance by teaching the body how to respond to varying exercise intensities, such as what occurs during an athletic event. Using different heart rate zones in training allows the body to become more efficient at using a higher percentage of fat rather than sugar as fuel during exercise. By becoming more efficient at using fat for fuel, muscle glycogen, the sugar within your muscles is spared, allowing you to maintain a higher level of intensity for a longer duration, thus leading to improved athletic performance.

Zone training will be very beneficial and will assist you with athletic performance.  Being able to working within certain heart rate zones will help build your endurance for performance.  An example would be to complete a 5-mile run at 65% of your max heart rate and complete this same run on another day at 75% of your max heart rate.  Many differences in speed and breathing patterns will need to be present but the end result will be a strong performance.