A Five Year Physiological Case Study of An Olympic Runner
A Five Year Physiological Case Study of An Olympic Runner
A Five Year Physiological Case Study of An Olympic Runner
Table 1 Changes in various physical and physiological measures over five years of
VO2 (ml/kg/min)
51 50.6 determination using the expired gas collection
50 47.6 and analysis system in the exercise laboratory
used has been reported to be 2.1%.13
It has been suggested that absolute VO2MAX
40 peaks at about 15 years of age in the sedentary
female and that subsequent reduction in
VO2MAX is partly the result of a decline in maxi-
30
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 mum heart rate with age.14 The 9% reduction
Year in VO2MAX between 1991 and 1993 coincided
Figure 3 Reduced oxygen cost of submaximal with a 2% reduction in maximum heart rate
runningthat is, improved running economyfrom 1992 (from 203 to 199 beats/minute). Interpretation
to 1995. Data presented are for 16 km/h and 1% treadmill of the longitudinal physiological changes ob-
grade. served and their relation to long term endur-
22
ance training is, however, further complicated
Speed at VO2 MAX (km/h)
reported that transformation of muscle fibre The sensitivity of lactate threshold to endur-
types from type IIb to type IIa,21 and from type ance training is well documented,33 and the
IIa to type I,22 can occur with extensive endur- running speed at which lactate threshold
ance training. A greater proportion of type I occurs has been shown to dictate the speed that
fibres in the musculature has been reported to can be sustained during distance running
reduce the energetic cost of treadmill races.2 34 The running speed at which lactate
running.23 threshold occurred increased from approxi-
Whatever the cause, the reduced oxygen cost mately six minutes and 25 seconds per mile in
of running throughout the range of submaxi- 1991 to five minutes and 20 seconds per mile in
mal exercise was fundamental in increasing the 1995. This represents a 20% improvement in
estimated running speed at VO2MAX over time,4 the running speed at lactate threshold in four
since VO2MAX was essentially unaltered after years, and is indicative of a greatly enhanced
1993. The substitution of VO2MAX by the run- endurance capacity. The exercise intensity
ning speed at VO2MAX, involving the interplay of associated with lactate threshold increased
VO2MAX and running economy, has been shown from approximately 80% VO2MAX in 1991 to
to be highly predictive of success in distance 88% VO2MAX in 1995. The importance of a
running events.4 In the present study, the esti- high lactate threshold to the performance of
mated running speed at VO2MAX was a close the fast aerobic events of 3000 m and 5000 m
approximation of the best running speed main- is underlined by data demonstrating that time
tained for 3000 m during the season. This sup- to exhaustion at VO2MAX is positively related
ports work suggesting that 3000 m running to the percentage VO2MAX at which lactate
requires the utilisation of approximately 100% threshold occurs.35 Interestingly, the rightward
VO2MAX.24 This sensitivity of the estimated run- shift in the heart raterunning speed relation
ning speed at VO2MAX to training, and its close with training resulted in there being little
association with distance running perform-
change in the heart rate associated with the
ance, supports the suggestion of Morgan et al4
lactate threshold over time. Of practical
that the estimation of running speed at VO2MAX
interest to athletes and coaches without access
may be a useful adjunct in the physiological
to laboratory based physiological assessment is
assessment of the elite runner. In contrast, the
the sensitivity of heart rate at submaximal run-
maximum running speed attained in the fast
incremental treadmill test (part two of the test ning speeds to training status. For example, the
battery) was not sensitive to improvement in heart rate measured at 17.0 km/h fell from 199
athletic performance after 1993. The non- beats/minute to 180 beats/minute over the
steady state nature of the test protocol9 and the course of the study. Routine measurement of
associated requirements for a large contribu- heart rate response to several treadmill running
tion of anaerobic processes to ATP resynthesis, speeds might prove useful to the coach in
and for skill in high speed running, may assessing the eYcacy of endurance training
obscure the measurement of improvement in prescriptions over time.
aerobic fitness by such tests. While specific details relating to training are
Other changes in physiological variables not available, in general, the development of
included an elevation of the lactate threshold the training programme reflected the transition
and a reduction in the heart rate and the blood of the subject from promising junior to senior
lactate concentration measured at international. In later years, particular empha-
representative submaximal running speeds sis was placed on the development of a sound
(table 1). There is controversy over the nature aerobic base, and, to this end, average weekly
of the blood lactate response to exercise,25 with training mileage was progressively increased
some groups disputing the existence of a from 3040 miles a week to 7090 miles a
threshold phenomenon.26 27 However, a week. Of interest concerning the physiological
number of the studies that have described a improvements observed in the present study
continuous increase in blood lactate during was the subjects tendency to perform steady
incremental exercise may be criticised for using mileage at training intensities close to, or at,
protocols that are likely to obscure threshold lactate threshold. This may have been particu-
detectionthat is, they have used rapid larly important in the development of lactate
incremental rates that produce few data points threshold.33 36 The continued improvement in
or they have initiated exercise tests at high rela- running economy and lactate threshold might
tive intensities. It has been shown that be considered important in the future attain-
two-component linear regression analysis ment of success in the 5000 m and 10 000 m
that is, a single threshold modelprovides a track events.
closer fit to the blood lactateVO2 relationship In summary, this study, which is the first to
during exercise than does an exponential plus present data on the physiological changes
constant model,28 with the exponential model accompanying training in a world class female
producing a very poor fit to blood lactate data distance runner over a number of years,
in the region of interest (1.04.5 mM).29 showed improved 3000 m running perform-
Numerous studies testify to the validity and ance without an improvement in maximal oxy-
reliability of lactate threshold determination by gen consumption. Submaximal physiological
visual inspection,30 31 and the use of multistage variables including running economy and
test protocols with stage durations of three to lactate threshold improved considerably, and
four minutes, and small intensity increments the lower oxygen cost of running at submaxi-
(as in the present study) further simplifies mal speeds was important in increasing the
threshold identification.32 running speed estimated to be associated with
Physiology of an Olympic runner 43
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Commentary
This is a longitudinal study of an athletes maturation to elite status, the kind of topic more often
tackled anecdotally in the coaching literature than on the basis of scientific tests, as it is here. So
I find Andrew Jones paper both interesting and valuable.
The athlete was only 17 when the study began. Consequently, the eVects of training cannot be
separated cleanly from those of the last stages of growth. Nonetheless, perhaps the most power-
ful finding, which is that VO2MAX, although extremely high throughout, actually falls a few percent
while performance improves by a similar margin, makes its point irrespective of whether training
or maturation was the main factor in the improvement. The laboratory tests that do correlate well
with track performance are those of lactate threshold, running economy, and estimated speed at
VO2MAX. These findings nicely confirm results from several cross sectional studies of recent years.
NEIL SPURWAY