Upper arm circumference is associated with race performance in ultra-endurance runners.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of anthropometric parameters to race performance in ultra-endurance runners in a multistage ultra-endurance run.


METHODS
Descriptive field study.


METHODS
The Deutschlandlauf 2006 race in Germany, where athletes had to run 1200 km within 17 consecutive days. There were no interventions.


METHODS
In total, there were 19 male Caucasian ultra-endurance runners (mean (SD) 46.2 (9.6) years, 71.8 (5.2) kg, 179 (6) cm, BMI 22.5 (1.9) kg/m(2)).


METHODS
Determination of body mass, body height, length of lower limbs, skin-fold thicknesses, circumference of limbs, body mass index (BMI), percentage skeletal muscle mass (%SM), and percentage body fat (%BF) in 19 successful finishers in order to correlate anthropometric parameters with running performance.


RESULTS
A significant association of upper arm circumference with the total running time was found (p<0.05, r2 = 0.26). No significant association was found with the directly measured anthropometric properties body height, body mass, average skin-fold thickness and the circumference of thigh and calf (p>0.05). Furthermore, no significant association was observed between the running time and the calculated parameters BMI, %BF, and %SM (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In an ultra-endurance run over 1200 km within 17 consecutive days, circumference of the upper arm was the only factor associated with performance in well-experienced ultra-endurance runners. Body mass, BMI, body height, length of limbs, skin-fold thicknesses, circumference of limbs and the calculated percentage body composition of skeletal muscle mass and body fat showed no association with running performance.
Knechtle
B
B
Gesundheitszentrum St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch
Knechtle
P
P
Schulze
I
I
Kohler
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness