Aerobic and Anaerobic Speed Predicts 800-m Running Performance in Young Recreational Runners

Øyvind Støren; Jan Helgerud; Jan-Michael Johansen; Lars-Erik Gjerløw; Aanund Aamlid; Eva Maria Støa

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.672141

Aerobic and Anaerobic Speed Predicts 800-m Running Performance in Young Recreational Runners

Front Physiol. 2021 May 21:12:672141. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.672141. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Øyvind Støren^{1

2}, Jan Helgerud^{3

4}, Jan-Michael Johansen^{1

2}, Lars-Erik Gjerløw², Aanund Aamlid², Eva Maria Støa²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway.
² Department of Sports, Physical Education and Outdoor Studies, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø, Norway.
³ Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
⁴ Myworkout, Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Trondheim, Norway.

Abstract

The main aim was to investigate the impact of maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal anaerobic speed (MANS), and time to exhaustion (TTE) at 130% MAS, on 800-m running time performance (800TT). A second aim was to investigate the impact of anaerobic speed reserve (ASR), i.e., the relative difference between MAS and MANS, on TTE. A total of 22 healthy students classified as recreational runners participated in a cross-sectional study. They were tested for maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max), oxygen cost of running (C_R), time performance at 100 m (100TT), time performance at 800 m (800TT), and TTE. MAS was calculated as VO_2max × C_R ^-1, and MANS was calculated as 100TT velocity. Both MAS and MANS correlated individually with 800TT (r = -0.74 and -0.67, respectively, p < 0.01), and the product of MAS and MANS correlated strongly (r = -0.82, p < 0.01) with 800TT. TTE did not correlate with 800TT. Both ASR and % MANS correlated strongly with TTE (r = 0.90 and -0.90, respectively, p < 0.01). These results showed that 800TT was first and foremost dependent on MAS and MANS, and with no impact from TTE. It seemed that TTE was merely a product of each runner's individual ASR. We suggest a simplified model of testing and training for 800TT, namely, by focusing on VO_2max, C_R, and short sprint velocity, i.e., MAS and MANS.

Keywords: aerobic power; anaerobic speed reserve; middle-distance running; sprint performance; time to exhaustion.