ATHLETES PERFORMANCE

Athletes Performance



Athletes Performance

Introduction

The rapidly increasing number of women participating in endurance sports, such as marathon running, has created a need for more knowledge about possible sex differences in the physiological response to prolonged physical exertion. Intra - individual variations in running economy at a standard running speed have been shown by Costill et al. (1973) and Conley and Krahenbuhl (1980), among others. Studies of possible differences between the sexes as to how distance runner's effect these economies are few. Furthermore , the interpretation of the results from such studies is often made difficult becaus e the subjects have been at quite different performance levels (Dr inkwater 1973; Daniels et al. 1977; Berg and Keul 1981). The most logical method of studying possible sex differences in marathon runners is to compare performance matched subjects of both sexes. The present investigation was, therefore ,designed to study running economy, maximal aerobic power(VO2max),anaerobic threshold (Tha) and the percentage utilization of O2 max and Than during running in men and woman having equal performance ability over the marathon distance (about 3h and 20min). Also, the frequency, duration, intensity and type of training over the last 6 months prior to measurement were compared between the sexes.

Purpose

The purposes of this study were to determine i) if there is a sex difference in the age of the elite marathon runners and ii) if the sex difference in performance altered across the years that women have participated in the marathon.

Method

Ten male and ten female runners were chosen on the basis of age (20-30 years) and their performance over the marathon distance. The purpose was to find possible sex differences in maximal aerobic power (VO2max), anaerobic threshold, running economy, degree and utilization of VO2max (when running a marathon) and amount of training. There are two groups information that is set among the 2 data sets we have used for the study.

Group I information:

Body Weight (BW) : between 75kg - 90 kg

Minute Ventilation: VE STPD (l/min): between 120 and 140 l/min

Fraction of exhaled oxygen: FeO2 = between 17.5 and 16.5 %

Group II formation:

Body Weight (BW) between : 60kg - 75 kg

VE STPD (l/min): between 100 and 120 l/min

FeO2 = between 17.5 and 16.5 %

Results and Discussion

The results showed that performance-matched male and female marathon runners had approximately the same VO2max (about 60 ml·kg-1·min-1). For both sexes the anaerobic threshold was reached at an exercise intensity of about 83% of VO2max, or 88%-90% of maximal heart rate. The females' running economy was poorer, i.e. their oxygen uptake during running at a standard sub maximal speed was higher (P<0.05). The heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio and blood lactate concentration also confirmed that a given running speed resulted in higher physiological. Strain for the females.

The percentage utilization of VO2max at the average marathon running speed was somewhat higher for the females, but the difference was not significant. For both sexes the oxygen uptake at average speed was 93%-94% of the oxygen uptake corresponding to the anaerobic threshold. Answers to a questionnaire showed that the females' training programme over the ...