Scale model on performance prediction in recreational and elite endurance runners.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the effect of allometric scaling on the relationship between running efficiency (R(Eff)) and middle-distance-running performance according to performance level.


METHODS
Thirteen male recreational middle-distance runners (mean ± SD age 33.3 ± 8.4 y, body mass 76.4 ± 8.6 kg, maximal oxygen uptake [VO(2max)] 52.8 ± 4.6 mL · kg(-1) · min(-1); G1) and 13 male high-level middle-distance runners (age 25.5 ± 4.2 y, body mass 62.8 ± 2.7 kg, VO(2max) 70.4 ± 1.9 mL · kg(-1) · min(-1); G2) performed a continuous incremental test to volitional exhaustion to determine VO(2max) and a 6-min submaximal running test at 70% of VO(2max) to assess R(Eff).


RESULTS
Significant correlation between R(Eff) and performance were found for both groups; however, the strongest correlations were observed in recreational runners, especially when using the allometric exponent (respectively for G1, nonallometric vs allometric scaling: r = .80 vs r = .86; and for G2, nonallometric vs allometric scaling: r = .55 vs r = .50).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that an allometric normalization may improve endurance-performance prediction from R(Eff) values in recreational, but not in elite, runners.
Physical Education School, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Marcus P
MP
Tartaruga
Carlos B
CB
Mota
Leonardo A
LA
Peyré-Tartaruga
Jeanick
J
Brisswalter
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001835:Body Weight; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012420:Running; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult