TY - JOUR
T1 - A physiological comparison of the new-over 70 years of age-marathon record holder and his predecessor
T2 - A case report
AU - Van Hooren, Bas
AU - Lepers, Romuald
N1 - Copyright © 2023 Van Hooren and Lepers.
PY - 2023/2/13
Y1 - 2023/2/13
N2 - Purpose: This study assessed the body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, fiber type and mitochondrial function, and training characteristics of a 71-year-old runner who broke the world record marathon of the men’s 70–74 age category and held several other world records. The values were compared to those of the previous world-record holder. Methods: Body fat percentage was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. (Formula presented.), running economy, and maximum heart rate were measured during treadmill running. Muscle fiber typology and mitochondrial function were evaluated using a muscle biopsy. Results: Body fat percentage was 13.5%, (Formula presented.) was 46.6 ml kg
−1 min
−1, and maximum heartrate was 160 beats∙min
-1. At the marathon pace (14.5 km h
−1), his running economy was 170.5 ml kg
−1 km
−1. The gas exchange threshold and respiratory compensation point occurred at 75.7% and 93.9% of the (Formula presented.), i.e., 13 km h
−1 and 15 km h
−1, respectively. The oxygen uptake at the marathon pace corresponded to 88.5% of (Formula presented.). Vastus lateralis fiber content was 90.3% type I and 9.7% type II. Average distance was 139 km∙w
−1 in the year prior to the record. Conclusion: The 71-year-old world-record holder marathon showed a relatively similar (Formula presented.), lower percentage of (Formula presented.) at marathon pace, but a substantially better running economy than his predecessor. The better running economy may result from an almost double weekly training volume compared to the predecessor and a high type I fiber content. He trained every day in the last ∼1.5 years and achieved international performance in his age group category with a small (<5% per decade) age-related decline in marathon performance.
AB - Purpose: This study assessed the body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, fiber type and mitochondrial function, and training characteristics of a 71-year-old runner who broke the world record marathon of the men’s 70–74 age category and held several other world records. The values were compared to those of the previous world-record holder. Methods: Body fat percentage was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. (Formula presented.), running economy, and maximum heart rate were measured during treadmill running. Muscle fiber typology and mitochondrial function were evaluated using a muscle biopsy. Results: Body fat percentage was 13.5%, (Formula presented.) was 46.6 ml kg
−1 min
−1, and maximum heartrate was 160 beats∙min
-1. At the marathon pace (14.5 km h
−1), his running economy was 170.5 ml kg
−1 km
−1. The gas exchange threshold and respiratory compensation point occurred at 75.7% and 93.9% of the (Formula presented.), i.e., 13 km h
−1 and 15 km h
−1, respectively. The oxygen uptake at the marathon pace corresponded to 88.5% of (Formula presented.). Vastus lateralis fiber content was 90.3% type I and 9.7% type II. Average distance was 139 km∙w
−1 in the year prior to the record. Conclusion: The 71-year-old world-record holder marathon showed a relatively similar (Formula presented.), lower percentage of (Formula presented.) at marathon pace, but a substantially better running economy than his predecessor. The better running economy may result from an almost double weekly training volume compared to the predecessor and a high type I fiber content. He trained every day in the last ∼1.5 years and achieved international performance in his age group category with a small (<5% per decade) age-related decline in marathon performance.
U2 - 10.3389/fphys.2023.1122315
DO - 10.3389/fphys.2023.1122315
M3 - Article
C2 - 36860525
SN - 1664-042X
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in physiology
JF - Frontiers in physiology
IS - 1
M1 - 1122315
ER -