Anaerobic work capacity's contribution to 5-km-race performance in female runners

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between anaerobic characteristics and 5-km-race performance in trained female cross-country runners (N = 13). Methods: The runners performed 50-m sprints and a 5-km time trial on an outdoor 400-m track and maximal anaerobic (MART) and aerobic running tests on a motorized treadmill. Anaerobic characteristics were determined by the mean velocity of the 50-m sprint (v_50m) and the peak velocity in the MART (v_MART). The aerobic characteristics were obtained during the aerobic treadmill test and included maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), running economy, and ventilatory threshold (VT). Results: Both the v_MART (r = .69, P < .01) and VO_2max (r = .80, P < .01) correlated with the mean velocity of the 5-km (v_5km). A multiple-linear-regression analysis revealed that the combination of VO _2max, v_MART, and VT explained 81% (R² = .81, P < .001) of the variation seen in the v_5km. The v_MART accounted for 31% of the total shared variance, while the combination of VO _2max and VT explained the remaining 50%. Conclusions: These results suggest that among trained female runners who are relatively matched, anaerobic energy production can effectively discriminate the v_5km and explain a significant amount of the variation seen in 5-km-race performance.