Comparison of V̇o 2peak and Achievement of V̇o 2peak Criteria in Three Modes of Exercise in Female Triathletes

A field tool for the aerobic power evaluation of middle-aged female recreational runners

This study used time to exhaustion (TTE) to predict V̇O_2max in female recreational master runners. Forty-two middle-aged women (mean = 40.5 ± 5.9 years) who had trained for recreational running performed two Université de Montréal Track Tests in the facilities of the University of Barcelona (Spain). The first was performed on a treadmill (t), the second, on an athletics track (field: f). After measuring TTE and V̇O_2max on the treadmill, a first-order equation was obtained to estimate fV̇O_2max from fTTE. No significant difference was observed between the estimated fV̇O_2max (46.5 ± 2.9 mL·kg^-1·min^-1) and the measured tV̇O_2max (46.2 ± 5.3), with a mean value of the absolute differences of less than 8% of the tV̇O_2max average. High agreement between the two V̇O_2max values was also evident, as shown by the low bias of the differences and the Bland-Altman plot. The equation obtained is of interest to evaluate performance in middle-aged female recreational runners. It will allow coaches and runners to set running paces for training and could be used in training routines to determine improvements after a training program. Moreover, these tools could be used in the field to assess the physical fitness of middle-aged women, in efforts to preserve their health and physical function.

The Combined Effect of Aging and Performance Level on Pacing in Duathlon - the "ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships"

The role of age and performance level has been investigated in runners such as marathoners, but not in multi-sports athletes such as duathletes (running, cycling, and running). Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the combined effects of aging and performance level on pacing of duathletes competing in two different race distances. Pacing (defined as the relative contribution of cycling time, %, to the overall race time) was analyzed for 6,671 duathletes competing from 2003 to 2017 in the short distance race (10 km first run, 50 km cycling and 5 km second run) or long distance race (10 km first run, 150 km cycling and 30 km second run) of “Powerman Zofingen,” the “ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.” Men were faster, older, and spent less time (%) in cycling than women in both distances races (p < 0.001). Younger age groups spent more time (%) in cycling than their older counterparts in women (both short and long distance, p = 0.036, η_p² = 0.031, p = 0.025, η_p² = 0.044, respectively) and men (long distance race, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.016). Fast performance groups spent more time (%) in cycling than their slower counterparts in short (women, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.057; men, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.035) and long distance (women, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.070; men, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.052). A small age group × performance group interaction on cycling time (%) was observed in the men’s short distance (p = 0.001, η_p² = 0.020) – but not in the long distance or in women – with smaller differences between performance groups in the older than in the younger age groups. Women, young and fast duathletes were relatively slower in cycling than men, old and slow duathletes; that was, old duathletes were relatively faster in cycling than in running. Moreover, there was indication that the difference in pacing among performance groups might be attenuated with aging. Since fast duathletes were relatively faster in running than in cycling, slow duathletes should be encouraged to cycle slower and run faster.

The Reliability and Validity of a Four-Minute Running Time-Trial in Assessing [Formula: see text]max and Performance

Introduction: Traditional graded-exercise tests to volitional exhaustion (GXTs) are limited by the need to establish starting workloads, stage durations, and step increments. Short-duration time-trials (TTs) may be easier to implement and more ecologically valid in terms of real-world athletic events. The purpose of the current study was to assess the reliability and validity of maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) and performance measured during a traditional GXT (STEP) and a four-minute running time-trial (RunTT).

Methods: Ten recreational runners (age: 32 ± 7 years; body mass: 69 ± 10 kg) completed five STEP tests with a verification phase (VER) and five self-paced RunTTs on a treadmill. The order of the STEP/VER and RunTT trials was alternated and counter-balanced. Performance was measured as time to exhaustion (TTE) for STEP and VER and distance covered for RunTT.

Results: The coefficient of variation (CV) for V˙O2max was similar between STEP, VER, and RunTT (1.9 ± 1.0, 2.2 ± 1.1, and 1.8 ± 0.8%, respectively), but varied for performance between the three types of test (4.5 ± 1.9, 9.7 ± 3.5, and 1.8 ± 0.7% for STEP, VER, and RunTT, respectively). Bland-Altman limits of agreement (bias ± 95%) showed V˙O2max to be 1.6 ± 3.6 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ higher for STEP vs. RunTT. Peak HR was also significantly higher during STEP compared with RunTT (P = 0.019).

Conclusion: A four-minute running time-trial appears to provide more reliable performance data in comparison to an incremental test to exhaustion, but may underestimate V˙O2max.