Aerobic performance of female marathon and male ultramarathon athletes

Summary

The aerobic performance of thirteen male ultramarathon and nine female marathon runners were studied in the laboratory and their results were related to their times in events ranging in distance from 5 km to 84.64 km.

The mean maximal aerobic power output (VO_{2 max}) of the men was 72.5 ml/kg·min compared with 58.2 ml/kg·min (p<0.001) in the women but the O₂ cost (VO₂) for a given speed or distance of running was the same in both sexes. The 5 km time of the male athletes was closely related to their VO_{2 max} (r=−0.85) during uphill running but was independent of relative power output (%VO_{2 max}). However, with increasing distance the association of VO_{2 max} with male athletic performance diminished (but nevertheless remained significant even at 84.64 km), and the relationship between VO_{2 max} and time increased. Thus, using multiple regression analysis of the form:

$$\begin{gathered} 42.2 km (marathon) time (h) = 7.445 - 0.0338 \dot V{\text{O}}_{{\text{2 max}}} ({\text{ml/kg }} \cdot {\text{ min}}) \hfill \\ - 0.0303\% \dot V{\text{O}}_{{\text{2 max}}} (r = 0.993) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$

and

$$\begin{gathered} 84.64 {\text{km (London}} - {\text{Brighton) time (h) = 16}}{\text{.998 }} - {\text{ 0}}{\text{.0735 }}\dot V{\text{O}}_{{\text{2 max}}} \hfill \\ ({\text{ml/kg }} \cdot \min ) - 0.0844\% \dot V{\text{O}}_{{\text{2 max}}} (r = 0.996) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$

approximately 98% of the total variance of performance times could be accounted for in the marathon and ultramarathon events. This suggests that other factors such as footwear, clothing, and running technique (Costill, 1972) play a relatively minor role in this group of male distance runners. In the female athletes the intermediate times were not available and they did not compete beyond 42.2 km (marathon) distance but for this event a similar association though less in magnitude was found with VO_{2 max} (r=−0.43) and %VO_{2 max} (= −0.49). The male athletes were able to sustain 82% VO_{2 max} (range 80–87%) in 42.2 km and 67% VO_{2 max} (range 53–76%) in 84.64 km event. The comparable figure for the girls in the marathon was 79% VO_{2 max} (ranges 68–86%). Our data suggests that success at the marathon and ultramarathon distances is crucially and (possibly) solely dependent on the development and utilisation of a large VO_{2 max}.