Times to exhaustion at 100% of velocity at $$\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $$ max and modelling of the time-limit / velocity relationship in elite long-distance runners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure running times to exhaustion (Tlim) on a treadmill at 100% of the minimum velocity which elicits $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max in 38 elite male long - distance runners $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max = 71.4 ± 5.5 ml.kg⁻¹.min⁻¹ and $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max = 21.8 ± 1.2 km.h⁻¹). The lactate threshold (LT) was defined as a starting point of accelerated lactate accumulation around 4 mM and was expressed in $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max. Tlim value was negatively correlated with $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max (r = -0.362, p< 0.05) and $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max (r = −0.347, p< 0.05) but positively with LT (%v $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max) (r = 0.378, p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that running time to exhaustion at $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max in a homogeneous group of elite male long-distance runners was inversely related to $\dot V{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} $ _max and experimentally illustrates the model of Monod and Scherrer regarding the time limit-velocity relationship adapted from local exercise for running by Hughson et al. (1984) .