Physiological Correlates of Female Road Racing Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between female distance running performance on a 10 km road race and body composition, maximal aerobic power ([Vdot]O_{2 max} ), running economy (steady-state [Vdot]O₂ at standardized speeds), and the fractional utilization of [Vdot]O_2max at submaximal speeds (% [Vdot]O_2max ). The subjects were 14 trained and competition–experienced female runners. The subjects averaged 43.7 min on the 10 km run, 53.0 ml · kg^?1 · min^?1 on [Vdot]O_2max , and 33.9, 37.7, and 41.8 ml · kg^?1 · min^?1 for steady-state [Vdot]O₂ at three standardized running paces (177, 196, and 215 m · min^?1). The mean values for fractional utilization of aerobic capacity for these three submaximal speeds were 64.3, 71.4, and 79.3% [Vdot]O_2max , respectively. Significant (p < 0.01) relationships with performance were found for [Vdot]O_2max (r = ?0.66) and % [Vdot]O_2max at a standardized speed (r = 0.65). No significant (p > 0.05) relationships were found between running performance and either running economy or relative body fat. As with male heterogeneous groups, trained female road racing performance is significantly related to [Vdot]O_2max and % [Vdot]O_2max , but not related to body composition or running economy. It was further concluded that on a 10 km road race, trained females operate at a % [Vdot]O_2max similar to that of their trained male counterparts.