Objective

A suite of adaptations facilitating endurance running (ER) evolved within the hominin lineage. This may have improved our ability to reach scavenging sites before competitors, or to hunt prey over long distances. Running economy (RE) is a key determinant of endurance running performance, and depends largely on the magnitude of force required to support body mass. However, numerous environmental factors influence body mass, thereby significantly affecting RE. This study tested the hypothesis that alternative metabolic strategies may have emerged to enable ER in individuals with larger body mass and poor RE.

Methods

A cohort of male (n = 25) and female (n = 19) ultra-endurance runners completed submaximal and exhaustive treadmill protocols to determine RE, and V̇O_2Max.

Results

Body mass was positively associated with sub-maximal oxygen consumption at both LT1 (male r=0.66, p<0.001; female LT1 r=0.23, p=0.177) and LT2 (male r=0.59, p=0.001; female r=0.23, p=0.183) and also with V̇O_2Max (male r=0.60, p=0.001; female r=0.41, p=0.046). Additionally, sub-maximal oxygen consumption varied positively with V̇O_2Max in both male (LT1 r=0.54, p=0.003; LT2 r=0.77, p<0.001) and female athletes (LT1 r=0.88, p<0.001; LT2 r=0.92, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The results suggest that, while individuals with low mass and good RE can glide economically as they run, larger individuals can compensate for the negative effects their mass has on RE by increasing their capacity to consume oxygen. The elevated energy expenditure of this low-economy high-energy turnover approach to ER may bring costs associated with energy diversion away from other physiological processes, however.

中文翻译：

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不同体型的耐力跑者采用替代代谢策略；对人类进化的影响

客观的

一套促进耐力跑 (ER) 的适应性在人类血统中进化。这可能提高了我们在竞争对手之前到达拾荒地点或远距离猎物的能力。跑步经济性 (RE) 是耐力跑表现的关键决定因素，很大程度上取决于支持体重所需的力量大小。然而，许多环境因素会影响体重，从而显着影响 RE。这项研究检验了这样一个假设，即替代代谢策略可能已经出现，以使体重较大和 RE 较差的个体能够进行 ER。

方法

一组男性 (n = 25) 和女性 (n = 19) 超耐力跑者完成了次最大和详尽的跑步机协议以确定 RE 和 V̇O _2Max。

结果

体重与 LT1（男性r =0.66，p <0.001；女性 LT1 r =0.23，p= 0.177）和 LT2（男性r =0.59，p =0.001；女性r =0.23 ）的次最大耗氧量呈正相关, p =0.183) 以及 V̇O _2Max (雄性r =0.60, p =0.001; 雌性r =0.41, p =0.046)。此外，两个男性的次最大耗氧量与 V̇O _2Max呈正相关（LT1 r =0.54，p =0.003；LT2 r =0.77，p<0.001) 和女运动员 (LT1 r =0.88, p <0.001; LT2 r =0.92, p <0.001)。

结论

结果表明，虽然体重低且可再生能源良好的个体可以在跑步时经济地滑行，但较大的个体可以通过增加其消耗氧气的能力来补偿其质量对可再生能源的负面影响。然而，这种对 ER 的低经济高能量周转方法的高能量消耗可能会使与能量转移相关的成本远离其他生理过程。