title: The role of anaerobic ability in middle distance running performance.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between anaerobic ability and middle distance running performance. Ten runners of similar performance capacities (5 km times: 16.72, SE 0.2 min) were examined during 4 weeks of controlled training. The runners performed a battery of tests each week [maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), vertical jump, and Margaria power run] and raced 5 km three times (weeks 1, 2, 4) on an indoor 200-m track (all subjects competing). Regression analysis revealed that the combination of time to exhaustion (TTE) during the VO2max test (r2 = 0.63) and measures from the Margaria power test (W.kg-1, r2 = 0.18; W, r2 = 0.05) accounted for 86% of the total variance in race times (P less than 0.05). Regression analysis demonstrated that TTE was influenced by both anaerobic ability [vertical jump, power (W.kg-1) and aerobic capacity (VO2max, ml.kg-1.min-1)]. These results indicate that the anaerobic systems influence middle distance performance in runners of similar abilities.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Houmard
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Costill
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chenier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012420:Running