PHYSIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF SHORT TRAIL RUNNING

Authors

  • Myrsini S. Kolyfa School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
  • Nikolaos D. Geladas School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
  • Georgios P. Paradisis School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
  • Polyxeni Argeitaki School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
  • Anastasia Tzimou Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Elias D. Zacharogiannis School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v7i5.4071

Keywords:

level running predictive model, maximal oxygen uptake, muscle power, trail running, ventilatory threshold

Abstract

The recent worldwide popularity of trail running has raised the necessity of studying the physiological profile of this sport. Although trail running races are long distance endurance events, the variety of their terrain, incline and duration prevents the application of the classical predictive model of level running. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the physiological and anthropometric parameters that determine short trail race performance. Twenty-five moderately trained trail runners participated in a 15 km trail running race, consisting of 9 km positive and 6 km negative incline. Four days after the race they followed a laboratory protocol for the measurement and estimation of anthropometric and physiological parameters (maximal oxygen uptake, velocity at maximal oxygen uptake, ventilatory threshold, velocity at ventilatory threshold, running economy, flexibility, muscle power, aerobic capacity). The results revealed high correlations between the 15 km race performance and velocity at maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.81), ventilatory threshold (r = 0.88), muscle power of knee extensor (r = 0.50 – 0.53), anaerobic capacity (r = 0.65) and body fat percentage (r = 0.7). Another two parameters that were highly correlated with the 15 km mountain trail race performance were both the positive and negative incline time (r = 0.95 and r = 0.96, respectively). Our conclusions confirmed previous findings that performance in trail running cannot be predicted with the same variable model as level running.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Myrsini S. Kolyfa, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
    Myrsini S. Kolyfa is a Physical Education teacher in Secondary Education in Greece who completed her PhD studies at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research about trail running was a result of her academic interests in exercise physiology and her personal athletic experience as a trail runner in marathon and ultramarathon trail races.
  • Nikolaos D. Geladas, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
    Nikolaos D. Geladas is a Professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.  His research interests are in the areas of human performance in adverse environmental conditions, and in factors of fatigue during prolonged exercise.
  • Georgios P. Paradisis, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
    Georgios P. Paradisis is an Associate Professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.  His research interests are in the areas of exercise physiology and biomechanics, as well as in physical activity and health.
  • Polyxeni Argeitaki, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
    Polyxeni Argeitaki is an Assistant Professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.  Her research interests are in the areas of track and field in infancy and childhood, also, in factors that contribute to the improvement of the performance of track and field athletes, and in studying the long-term health status of long-distance runners.
  • Anastasia Tzimou, Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
    Anastasia Tzimou is a Dr. in Exercise Biochemistry and is a member of the Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research interests are in the areas of exercise biochemistry and physiology, as well as in physical activity and health.
  • Elias D. Zacharogiannis, School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece
    Elias Zacharogiannis is an Associate Professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.  His research interests are in the areas of muscle glycogen metabolism at submaximal running speed, and in the effects of high-intensity interval training on endurance performance.

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Published

2021-12-14

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 5 (2021)

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