title: Sex differences in association of race performance, skin-fold thicknesses, and training variables for recreational half-marathon runners.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between selected skin-fold thicknesses and training variables with a half-marathon race time, for both male and female recreational runners, using bi- and multivariate analysis. In 52 men, two skin-fold thicknesses (abdominal and calf) were significantly and positively correlated with race time; whereas in 15 women, five (pectoral, mid-axilla, subscapular, abdominal, and suprailiac) showed positive and significant relations with total race time. In men, the mean weekly running distance, minimum distance run per week, maximum distance run per week, mean weekly hours of running, number of running training sessions per week, and mean speed of the training sessions were significantly and negatively related to total race time, but not in women. Interaction analyses suggested that race time was more strongly associated with anthropometry in women than men. Race time for the women was independently associated with the sum of eight skin-folds; but for the men, only the mean speed during training sessions was independently associated. Skin-fold thicknesses and training variables in these groups were differently related to race time according to their sex.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research University of Zurich. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosemann
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Senn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D054874:Athletic Performance; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011998:Recreation; D012420:Running; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors