Better economy in field running than on the treadmill: evidence from high-level distance runners.

Given the ongoing interest in ways to improve the specificity of testing elite athletes in their natural environment, portable metabolic systems provide an opportunity to assess metabolic demand of exercise in sport-specific settings. Running economy (RE) and maximal oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O2max) were compared between track and treadmill (1% inclination) conditions in competitive level European distance runners who were fully habituated to treadmill running (n = 13). All runners performed an exercise test on running track and on treadmill. While [Formula: see text]O2max was similar on the track and on the treadmill (68.5 ± 5.3 vs. 71.4 ± 6.4 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1), p = 0.105, respectively), superior RE was found on the track compared to the treadmill (215.4 ± 12.4 vs. 236.8 ± 18.0 O2 ml·kg(-1)·km(-1), p < 0.001). RE on the track was strongly correlated with RE on the treadmill (r = 0.719, p = 0.006). The present findings indicate that high-level distance runners have significantly better RE but not [Formula: see text]O2max on the track compared to treadmill. This difference may be due to biomechanical adjustments. As RE is strongly correlated between the two conditions, it would be reasonable to assume that interventions affecting RE on the treadmill will also affect RE on the track.

Running economy and body composition between competitive and recreational level distance runners.

The aim of the present study was to compare running economy between competitive and recreational level athletes at their individual ventilatory thresholds on track and to compare body composition parameters that are related to the individual running economy measured on track. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a total 45 male runners classified as competitive runners (CR; n = 28) and recreational runners (RR; n = 17). All runners performed an incremental test on treadmill until voluntary exhaustion and at least 48 h later a 2 × 2000 m test at indoor track with intensities according to ventilatory threshold 1, ventilator threshold 2. During the running tests, athletes wore portable oxygen analyzer. Body composition was measured with Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method. Running economy at the first ventilatory threshold was not significantly related to any of the measured body composition values or leg mass ratios either in the competitive or in the recreational runners group. This study showed that there was no difference in the running economy between distance runners with different performance level when running on track, while there was a difference in the second ventilatory threshold speed in different groups of distance runners. Differences in running economy between competitive and recreational athletes cannot be explained by body composition and/or different leg mass ratios.