Influence of the world's most challenging mountain ultra-marathon on energy cost and running mechanics.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of the world's most challenging mountain ultra-marathon (Tor des Géants(®) 2012) on the energy cost of three types of locomotion (cycling, level and uphill running) and running kinematics.


METHODS
Before (pre-) and immediately after (post-) the competition, a group of ten male experienced ultra-marathon runners performed in random order three submaximal 4-min exercise trials: cycling at a power of 1.5 W kg(-1) body mass; level running at 9 km h(-1) and uphill running at 6 km h(-1) at an inclination of +15 % on a motorized treadmill. Two video cameras recorded running mechanics at different sampling rates.


RESULTS
Between pre- and post-, the uphill-running energy cost decreased by 13.8 % (P = 0.004); no change was noted in the energy cost of level running or cycling (NS). There was an increase in contact time (+10.3 %, P = 0.019) and duty factor (+8.1 %, P = 0.001) and a decrease in swing time (-6.4 %, P = 0.008) in the uphill-running condition.


CONCLUSIONS
After this extreme mountain ultra-marathon, the subjects modified only their uphill-running patterns for a more economical step mechanics.
Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, gianluca.vernillo@univr.it.
Gianluca
G
Vernillo
Aldo
A
Savoldelli
Andrea
A
Zignoli
Pietro
P
Trabucchi
Barbara
B
Pellegrini
Grégoire P
GP
Millet
Federico
F
Schena
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*