Physiological and training characteristics of recreational marathon runners

Figures & data

Table 1 Physiological characteristics of the n = 97 marathon runners

Characteristics	2.5–3 h	3–3.5 h	3.5–4 h	4–4.5 h	>4.5 h
Age (years)	40.0 ± 7.3	43.6 ± 9.9	42.4 ± 11.6	43.6 ± 9.3	42.1 ± 10.3
Mass (kg)	65.6 ± 7.4	71.2 ± 9.0	67.8 ± 11.0	72.4 ± 17.5	69.6 ± 13.7
Height (cm)	174.9 ± 8.1	175.6 ± 7.8	171.9 ± 8.0	171.9 ± 10.8	169.1 ± 11.3
BMI (kg·m^2)	18.7 ± 1.5	20.2 ± 2.1	19.6 ± 2.5	20.9 ± 4.1	20.4 ± 2.8
${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_{2\max }(\text{mL}\cdot {\text{kg}}^{-1}\cdot {\min }^{-1})$	63.3 ± 7.7	55.7 ± 4.8a	53.2 ± 4.6a	53.0 ± 8.6a	46.5 ± 5.2a
LT1 (km·h^–1)	12.4 ± 0.7	11.0 ± 0.8a	10.3 ± 1.1b	10.1 ± 1.5a	8.6 ± 0.9a–d
LT2 (km·h^–1)	15.5 ± 0.7	13.8 ± 0.7a	13.1 ± 1.6a,b	12.7 ± 2.1a,b	10.9 ± 1.2a,b
LT1 (mM)	1.3 ± 0.4	1.6 ± 0.5a	1.5 ± 0.6a,b	1.5 ± 0.4a,b	1.9 ± 0.8a,b
LT2 (mM)	2.8 ± 0.5	2.8 ± 0.5	2.7 ± 0.6	2.5 ± 0.5	3.0 ± 0.7
LT1 $(\%{\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_{2\max })$	68.7 ± 7.5	70.7 ± 6.4	70.5 ± 5.7	73.3 ± 7.5	71.6 ± 6.9
LT2 $(\%{\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_{2\max })$	84.1 ± 5.2	84.4 ± 4.3	84.1 ± 4.2	85.1 ± 2.8	83.6 ± 4.6
${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_2$-LT1 (mL·kg^−1·min^−1)	43.2 ± 4.2	39.4 ± 2.3	37.5 ± 4.5	35.9 ± 5.2	33.0 ± 2.3
${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_2$-LT2 (mL·kg^−1·min^−1)	52.8 ± 5.6	47.0 ± 3.7	44.7 ± 4.3	44.1 ± 7.2	38.7 ± 3.4
${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_2$-LT1 (mL·kg^−1·km^−1)	209.5 ± 15.2	215.4 ± 14.6	219.2 ± 20.1	214.0 ± 15.2	230.4 ± 18.3
${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_2$-LT2 (mL·kg^−1·km^−1)	204.2 ± 17.3	205.2 ± 10.0	208.0 ± 14.0	204.4 ± 7.7	214.3 ± 13.7
HR1 (b·min^−1)	137.5 ± 7.6	139.5 ± 14.7	141.0 ± 15.2	131.9 ± 13.7	139.0 ± 11.3
HR2 (b·min^−1)	160.8 ± 8.1	159.1 ± 13.7	161.0 ± 10.6	157.0 ± 18.3	161.9 ± 14.7
HRmax (b·min ^−1)	176.4 ± 9.5	178.2 ± 13.9	176.7 ± 18.3	174.1 ± 18.0	179.3 ± 14.0
VEmax (l·min^−1)	149.4 ± 21.4	141.6 ± 21.0a	132.9 ± 30.8	129.3 ± 42.9	114.4 ± 24.4a,b
PBLa (mM)	8.9 ± 1.0	9.0 ± 1.9	9.0 ± 2.8	8.8 ± 2.1	9.1 ± 2.9

Notes: Data presented as mean ± standard deviation. LT1, lactate threshold; LT2, lactate turn point; HR1, HR at LT1; HR2, HR at LT2; PBLa, peak blood lactate concentration.

a Significant difference to the 2.5–3 h group.

b Significant difference to the 3–3.5 h group.

c Significant difference to the 3.5–4 h group.

d Significant difference to the 4–4.5 h group.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; HR, heart rate; PBLa, peak blood lactate concentration; VE, minute ventilation.

Table 2 Training and racing characteristics of the n = 82 marathon runners

Training characteristics	2.5–3 h	3–3.5 h	3.5–4 h	4–4.5 h	>4.5 h
H·week^−1	8.1 ± 2.5	7.9 ± 3.2	6.5 ± 2.7	7.7 ± 2.4	7.3 ± 5.4
Runs·week^−1	5.7 ± 1.0	5.0 ± 1.0	4.1 ± 1.3a,b	4.9 ± 1.0b	4.4 ± 1.1a
km·week^−1	91.7 ± 31.6	81.5 ± 26.0	62.4 ± 27.3a,b	56.2 ± 14.8a–c	43.8 ± 9.5a–d
h·session^−1,*	1.5 ± 0.4	1.6 ± 0.5	1.7 ± 1.1	1.6 ± 0.2	1.7 ± 1.0
km·session^−1,*	16.1 ± 4.2	16.4 ± 3.0	15.5 ± 5.2a	12.2 ± 2.1b,c	10.3 ± 2.6a–c
Longest run (km)	37.3 ± 5.8	31.1 ± 7.2	31.8 ± 5.5	32.2 ± 3.6	29.1 ± 8.2
Speed (km·h^−1)*	11.4 ± 2.0	11.1 ± 3.6	10.1 ± 3.8	8.1 ± 1.6a,b	8.0 ± 4.0a
Volume (AU)*	537.7 ± 266.1	429.7 ± 230.5	267.3 ± 169.9b	371.1 ± 296.5	201.7 ± 87.0a,b
Load (AU)*	34892 ± 16307	26888 ± 15360	14960 ± 7455a,b	22646 ± 18598	11909 ± 5259a,b
Years training	14.0 ± 7.6	11.0 ± 6.7	11.4 ± 11.5	12.6 ± 13.6	7.2 ± 8.4
Race speed (km·h^−1)	14.9 ± 0.6	12.8 ± 0.5	11.3 ± 0.6	10.0 ± 0.4	8.4 ± 8.9

Notes: Data presented as mean ± standard deviation.

* Aggregated scores: h·session⁻¹ = h·week⁻¹/sessions·week⁻¹, km·session⁻¹ = km·week⁻¹/sessions·week⁻¹; speed = km·session⁻¹/h·session⁻¹; volume = sessions·week⁻¹ × km·week⁻¹; $\text{load}=\%{\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_{2\max }\times \text{volume}$.

a Significant difference to the 2.5–3 h group.

b Significant difference to the 3–3.5 h group.

c Significant difference to the 3.5–4 h group.

d Significant difference to the 4–4.5 h group.

Figure 1 Blood lactate responses to incremental treadmill exercise.

Note: ●, >4.5 h group; ▲, 4–4.5 h group; ■, 3.5–4 h group; ♦, 3–3.5 h group; X, 2.5–3 h group.

Figure 2 RE expressed as % ${\dot{\mathrm{V}}\mathrm{O}}_{2\max }$ during incremental treadmill exercise.

Note: ●, >4.5 h group; ▲, 4–4.5 h group; ■, 3.5–4 h group; ♦, 3–3.5 h group; X, 2.5–3 h group.
Abbreviation: RE, running economy.

Table 3 Resting blood-based parameters of the n = 82 participants

Parameters	2.5–3 h	3–3.5 h	3.5–4 h	4–4.5 h	>4.5 h
Hemoglobin, g×dL^−1	14.0 ± 1.1	13.9 ± 1.3	13.9 ± 0.9	14.6 ± 1.4	13.7 ± 1.7
Hematocrit, %	42.1 ± 3.1	41.7 ± 3.9	41.9 ± 2.8	43.9 ± 4.3	41.3 ± 5.4
Glucose, mM	5.1 ± 0.8	5.1 ± 0.7	5.2 ± 0.9	4.6 ± 0.5	4.9 ± 0.4
Lactate, mM	0.9 ± 0.4	1.0 ± 0.3	1.0 ± 0.3	1.1 ± 0.3	1.1 ± 0.5
pH	7.45 ± 0.02	7.45 ± 0.01	7.45 ± 0.02	7.44 ± 0.02	7.45 ± 0.01
HCO3^−, mM	26.2 ± 1.5	26.8 ± 1.6	26.4 ± 1.5	27.4 ± 1.9	25.9 ± 1.7

Note: Data presented as mean ± standard deviation.

Abbreviation: HCO₃⁻, bicarbonate