SHORT REPORTS

The key to top-level endurance running performance: a unique example

Alejandro Lucia¹, Jesús Oliván¹, Jerónimo Bravo², Marta Gonzalez-Freire¹, Carl Foster³

¹ Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
² Eritrean Track and Field Federation, Eritrea
³ University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, LaCrosse, WI, USA

Alejandro Lucia, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; alejandro.lucia@uem.es

Accepted 8 November 2007

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Endurance running performance depends on a complex interplay of factors, including: (1) a high maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂MAX); (2) the ability to sustain a high percentage of VO₂MAX for long periods of time (fractional utilisation of VO₂MAX); and (3) the ability to move efficiently (ie, "cost of running" or "running economy").^{1 2} Although VO₂MAX and fractional utilisation of VO₂MAX have been extensively studied as determinants of running performance, by comparison, running economy has been relatively ignored in the scientific literature, though it may be the critical factor determining endurance running performance.¹ Differences amongst elite athletes in a variety of endurance sporting events other than running (particularly road cycling) have also been shown to be highly related to differences in economy (or efficiency).³ The physiological index of endurance performance that improved most in seven-time winner of the Tour de France . . . [Full text of this article]

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