Running economy in long-distance runners is positively affected by running experience and negatively by aging

Vinícius Ribeiro Dos Anjos Souza; Aldo Seffrin; Ronaldo Alves da Cunha; Lavínia Vivan; Claudio Andre Barbosa de Lira; Rodrigo Luiz Vancini; Katja Weiss; Beat Knechtle; Marilia Santos Andrade

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114032

Running economy in long-distance runners is positively affected by running experience and negatively by aging

Physiol Behav. 2023 Jan 1:258:114032. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114032. Epub 2022 Nov 13.

Authors

Vinícius Ribeiro Dos Anjos Souza¹, Aldo Seffrin¹, Ronaldo Alves da Cunha¹, Lavínia Vivan¹, Claudio Andre Barbosa de Lira², Rodrigo Luiz Vancini³, Katja Weiss⁴, Beat Knechtle⁵, Marilia Santos Andrade⁶

Affiliations

¹ Postgraduate program in Translation Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
² Human and Exercise Physiology Division, Faculty of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil.
³ Center for Physical Education and Sports, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Brazil.
⁴ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: katja@weiss.co.com.
⁵ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch.
⁶ Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.

PMID: 36384169
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114032

Abstract

Introduction: The maximum oxygen uptake (V˙O₂max), the maximum rate of oxygen that can be sustained before the onset of blood lactate accumulation, and the metabolic cost of locomotion are the main physiological factors associated with long-distance running performance. The latter is known as the running economy. Generally, runners reach peak performance in long races between 25 and 30 years of age, with a progressive decline occurring thereafter. However, it is not known whether the running economy is affected or how it is affected by aging.

Aim: To investigate the effect of age and years of running experience on the running economy of amateur long-distance runners aged 20-80 years.

Methods: Sixty-nine recreational long-distance runners, divided into five age groups according to decade of life, participated in this study: Group 1 (n= 9) 27.2 ± 1.3 years, Group 2 (n= 18) 35.9 ± 2.2 years, Group 3 (n= 17) 43.4 ± 2.8 years, Group 4 (n= 17) 53.0 ± 2.3 years, and Group 5 (n= 8) 65.5 ± 2.9 years. For running economy assessment, oxygen cost (OC) and energy cost (EC) were measured. Furthermore, the participants were interviewed on their running experience.

Results: For EC, the two independent variables composing the regression model were age (ß = 0.703, t= 5.443, p < 0.001) and running experience (ß = -0.230, t = -1.785, p= 0.07), and 34% of the energy cost variation can be explained by these two factors. EC and OC were compared among the groups. There were no significant differences between Groups 1 and 2 (p= 0.999), Groups 1 and 3 (p= 1.000), and Groups 1 and 4 (p= 0.528). However, Group 5 had a significantly higher energy cost than Group 1 (p < 0.001), Group 2 (p < 0.001), Group 3 (p < 0.001) and Group 4 (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The number of years of running experience has a positive effect on running economy, but it is insufficient to overcome the negative effect of the aging process. Furthermore, running economy was significantly worse in participants aged ≥60 years compared with that in younger athletes.

Keywords: Aging; Performance; Running economy; Running experience.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aging
Athletes
Humans
Locomotion
Oxygen Consumption*
Oxygen*

Substances

Oxygen