Relationship of Running Economy, Ventilatory Threshold, and Maximal Oxygen Consumption to Running Performance in High School Females

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to relate three determinants of distance running success, (a) maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max), (b) ventilatory threshold (VT), and (c) running economy (RE), to actual running time in a 5-km race (ART). Twenty-four female runners (M age = 15.9 years) from four high school teams that competed at the Massachusetts All-State 5-km Cross Country Championship Meet and placed 1st, 7th, 19th, and 20th were tested in the laboratory. The mean VO₂max of these runners was 61.7 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, HRmax 201 b·min⁻¹, VEmax 100 L·min⁻¹, and RER 1.10. The VT occurred at 79% of the VO₂max, an HR of 184 b·min⁻¹ (92% of HRmax). The velocity at VT (vVT) and velocity at VO₂max (vVO₂max) was correlated with ART, r(22) = .78 and .77 (p < .001), respectively. The VO₂ at VT and at maximal exercise was correlated with ART by r(22) = –.66 and –.69 (p < .001), respectively. The VO₂ at 215 m·min⁻¹ (8 mph) was poorly related to ART, r(22) = −.05, p > .05. It was concluded that either of the derived variables vVT and vVO₂max appear to explain significant variation in distance running performance among adolescent female cross country runners.

Key Words:

• distance running determinants
• fractional utilization of VO₂