Comment on Dissociation between running economy and running performance in elite Kenyan distance runners

Santos-Concejero, Jordan; Tucker, Ross

doi:10.1080/02640414.2014.971048

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It has to be noted that in the present study removing the influence of body mass strengthened the relationships between RE (O 2 ml·kg − 1 ·km − 1 ) and relative VO 2max as well as absolute submaximal VO 2 (L·min − 1 ) and VO 2max (L·min − 1 ) at all the measured speeds. Discussion in this area is to be continued (Atkinson et al, 2003; Lucia et al, 2002; Mooses et al, 2016; Morgan and Pate, 2004; Santos-Concejero and Tucker, 2016) especially considering that understanding the relationships between RE and VO 2max is necessary to tailor individualised training plans that lead to maximal performance in distance running.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower Leg Length is Associated with Running Economy in High Level Caucasian Distance Runners

Laumets

Viigipuu

Mooses

et al. 2017

Journal of Human Kinetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of the present study was to investigate lower limb anthropometric and composition variables related to running economy (RE) and running performance in a homogeneous group of high level European distance runners. RE at the speeds of 14, 16 and 18 km·h -1 (189 ± 12; 188 ± 11; 187 ± 11 O2 ml·kg -1 IntroductionIn addition to different physiological parameters, several anthropometric and body composition variables are known to be associated with running performance in elite Caucasian middle-and long-distance runners (Arrese and Ostariz, 2006). For example, body height and mass (Maldonado et al., 2002), fat and fat free mass (Winter and Hamley, 1976), arm circumference (Knechtle et al., 2008), different lower limb skinfolds and circumferences (Arrese and Ostariz, 2006;Legaz and Eston, 2005;Tanaka and Matsuura, 1982) as well as the sum of three (Kong and de Heer, 2008) or six (Legaz and Eston, 2005) skinfolds have been related to distance running performance. However, there is equivocal data about how running economy (RE) is related to anthropometric and/or body composition variables. Runners with proportionally lower body mass concentrated in the extremities, particularly in the legs, would perform less work moving their body segments during running, if all other factors are unchanged (Myers and Steudel, 1985). Therefore, leg mass and the distribution of leg mass might be important characteristics in performance and RE of distance runners (Myers and Steudel, 1985). In contrast, no difference has been shown in RE between recreational athletes with similar body mass, but different body composition (Maciejczyk et al., 2015). Recent evidence (Mooses et al., 2015a) indicates that relatively longer legs are related to better performance, however, in a homogenous group of athletes RE has shown not to be related to performance (Foster et al., 1977 Mooses et al., 2015a;Saunders et al., 2004). Therefore, better understanding of the interaction between RE, VO2max, performance, body composition and anthropometrics of different level athletes as well as intensities is needed. To date, there is no consensus which factors are responsible for superior RE and how RE is related to VO2max. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate lower limb anthropometric and composition variables related to RE and running performance in a homogeneous group of high level European distance runners. It was hypothesized that relatively lighter and longer legs would be related to better RE at the speed of 14, 16 and 18 km·h -1 . The findings of this study could help explain a complex interaction between anthropometric characteristics, body composition and RE in high level running performance. Material and Methods ParticipantsHigh level male European distance runners (n = 15) were initially recruited to the study, however, 2 of them were excluded after the treadmill test due to surpassing the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) at the speed of 18 km·h -1 . Therefore, the number of the subjects included into the final analysis was 13 (Ta...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower Leg Length is Associated with Running Economy in High Level Caucasian Distance Runners

Laumets

Viigipuu

Mooses

et al. 2017

Journal of Human Kinetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other researchers have found no association between running economy and running performance in Kenyan runners which was interpreted to mean that running economy is compensated for by other factors to afford distance running success (Mooses et al., ). It should be noted that others have critiqued this work [see (Santos‐Concejero & Tucker, )] and suggested that the importance of running economy in Kenyan runners cannot necessarily be downplayed.…”

Section: Running Economymentioning

confidence: 98%

The Kenyan runners

Larsen

Sheel

2015

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Today the Kenyan dominance in middle‐ and long‐distance running is so profound that it has no equivalence to any other sport in the world. Critical physiological factors for performance in running include maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), fractional VO2max utilization and running economy (energetic cost of running). Kenyan and non‐Kenyan elite runners seem to be able to reach very high, but similar maximal oxygen uptake levels just as there is some indication that untrained Kenyans and non‐Kenyans have a similar VO2max. In addition, the fractional utilization of VO2max seems to be very high but similar in Kenyan and European runners. Similarly, no differences in the proportion of slow muscle fibers have been observed when comparing Kenyan elite runners with their Caucasian counterparts. In contrast, the oxygen cost of running at a given running velocity has been found to be lower in Kenyan elite runners relative to other elite runners and there is some indication that this is due to differences in body dimensions. Pulmonary system limitations have been observed in Kenyan runners in the form of exercise‐induced arterial hypoxemia, expiratory flow limitation, and high levels of respiratory muscle work. It appears that Kenyan runners do not possess a pulmonary system that confers a physiological advantage. Additional studies on truly elite Kenyan runners are necessary to understand the underlying physiology which permits extraordinary running performances.

show abstract

Letter to the editor

Mooses

Haile

et al. 2015

Journal of Sports Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Santos-Concejero and Tucker argued in their letter to the editor that in our study the running economy in achieving superior performance was overlooked due to some methodological aspects. Having given the remarks of Santos-Concejero and Tucker appropriate consideration, in this letter to the editor, we argue that our paper does not downplay the influence of running economy on the determinants of the East African running phenomenon, but rather adds novel insights into the interaction between running economy, maximal oxygen uptake and performance.

show abstract

Comment on Dissociation between running economy and running performance in elite Kenyan distance runners

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

Lower Leg Length is Associated with Running Economy in High Level Caucasian Distance Runners

Lower Leg Length is Associated with Running Economy in High Level Caucasian Distance Runners

The Kenyan runners

Letter to the editor

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About