Distance Run Handicaps

Paul VanderburghHSS 409: Kinesiology

Agenda

Background Distance Running and Body Weight Scaling and Other Activities Running and Age Age and Weight Handicap Proposal Summary and Conclusions

BackgroundDistance run times

(DRT) well known to decrease with age and weight

But…how much due to age and weight alone?

Age Categories

Widely used in road races

Often very few competitors in the oldest categories

No easy way to compare runners of different age groups

WAVA (World Association of Veterans Athletes) Age-Grading

Adjusts run time by an age-grading factor Ex: 42 yr old male runs 24:00 5K

Factor = 0.9487 Run time x Factor = 22:46 = Adjusted Run Time

(ART) ART can be compared to all other runners’ ART’s

Handicap based on world bests, not physiology

(http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wavalookup.html)

Team Clydesdale: BW and AgeCategories:

A1= Athenas 145-159lbs

A2 = Athenas 160-179lbs

A3 = Athenas 180lbs +

C1 = Clydesdales 185-199lbs

C2 = Clydesdales 200-224lbs

C3 = Clydesdales 225-249lbs

Y = Youth (Under 29 years)

T = Thirty something (30-39 years)

M = Master (40-49 years)

GM = Grand Master (50 years +)

Distance Running and Body Weight - Theory

VO2max Body Weight1/3 (Astrand

’86)

5K run time VO2max/BW(Nevill ’92)

Therefore, 5K run time BW1/3

(Vanderburgh 95)

Can probably be applied to other run distances

DRT and Body Weight – Actual Data

DRT BW1/3

College-age men

Lean, military academy cadets

2-mile run time

(Crowder 95, Vanderburgh 95)

10.00

11.00

12.00

13.00

14.00

15.00

50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

Body Weight (kg)

Ru

n T

ime

(min

)Best-fit line

Other Aerobic Activities - Cycling

Cycling: lighter cyclists have advantage climbing but heavier are faster in flat time trials (quantified by Swain 94)

Other Aerobic Activities - Rowing

Rowing Ergometer: 2500m time trial times BW1/3 or HRow Time x Ht yields an adjusted score that is fair(Vanderburgh 96)

Strength and BW Handicaps

Strength is well known to be directly proportional to muscle cross sectional area (CSA)

Muscle Strength CSA BW2/3 (Vanderburgh 99, Jaric 2002)

Wilks Powerlifting Formula provides an accurate handicap by BW (Vanderburgh 99)

Running and Age - Theory Max heart rate is well known to

decline with age (220-age) This would likely explain the decline

in VO2max with age Quantification of the independent

effect of age on VO2max: Males: 0.26 ml/kg.min O2 per yr Females: 0.25 ml/kg.min O2 per yr(Jackson 95, 96)

VO2max Decline Run Time

Metabolic equations available: VO2max and BW used to compute run speed

Example for 5K:5K run speed = 84.3(VO2max

1.01BW-1.03)(Nevill 92)

Run time changes could be calculated with VO2max changes due to age

What Next?

Combine research findings to create a run-handicap model for age and body weight

Field test the model Examine logistics (weigh-ins, database) Validity

Summary/Conclusions Distance run time BW1/3

VO2max decreases, independent of other factors by: Males: 0.26 ml/kg.min O2 per yr Females: 0.25 ml/kg.min O2 per yr

This aerobic capacity decline can be linked, through metabolic equations, to actual run times

Research data can now be used to develop physiologically and biomechanically correct handicap models for age and BW

References

1. Crowder T & Yunker C. Scaling of push-up, sit-up and two-mile run performances by body weight and fat-free weight in young, fit men. [Abstract]. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 28:S183, 1996.

2. Jackson A, E Beard, L Weir, R Ross, & S Blair. Changes in aerobic power of men, ages 25-70 yr. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 27:113-120, 1995.

3. Jackson A, L Weir, G Ayers, E Beard, J Stuteville, & S Blair. Changes in aerobic power of women, ages 20-64. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 28:884-891, 1996.

4. Jaric S, Ugarkovic D, & Kukolj M. Evaluation of methods of normalizing muscle strength in elite and young athletes. J Sports Med Physical Fitness. 42:141-151, 2002.

5. Nevill A, R Ramsbottom, & C Williams. Scaling physiological measurements for individuals of different body size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 65:110-117, 1992.

6. Swain D. The influence of body-mass in endurance bicycling. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 26:58-63, 1994.

7. Vanderburgh P. A simple index to adjust maximal strength measures. J Exerc Physiol. 2:2-7, 1999.

8. Vanderburgh P & A Batterham. Validation of the Wilks Powerlifting Formula. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 31:1869-1875, 1999.

9. Vanderburgh P, Katch F, Schoenleber J, Balabinis C & Elliott R. Multivariate allometric scaling of men’s world indoor rowing championship performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 28:626-630, 1996.

10. Vanderburgh P & M Mahar. Scaling of 2-mile run times by body weight and fat-free weight in college-age men. J Strength Cond Res. 9:67-70, 1995.