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Comparison of incremental treadmill exercise and free range running.
1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|April 3, 2001
Summary
Physiological responses during treadmill running and free range running were similar, except for higher post-exercise blood lactate levels during free range running. Further research is needed to understand these differences.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Human Performance
Background:
- Understanding physiological responses to different exercise modalities is crucial for training optimization.
- Previous studies often used cycle ergometry, necessitating research on running-based activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare peak physiological responses between incremental treadmill running and unpaced 1-mile free range running.
- To investigate differences in oxygen uptake, heart rate, ventilation, and blood lactate.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen competitive cross-country runners participated.
- Subjects completed an incremental treadmill test and a 1-mile track run.
- Physiological variables (VO2peak, HRpeak, VO2/HRpeak, VEpeak) and post-exercise blood lactate were measured.
Main Results:
- Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), heart rate (HRpeak), ventilation (VEpeak), and VO2/HRpeak did not differ significantly between treadmill and track running.
- Post-exercise blood lactate levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) after free range running compared to treadmill running.
Conclusions:
- Physiological responses are largely comparable between treadmill and free range running, with the exception of blood lactate.
- The higher blood lactate in free range running may indicate greater anaerobic contribution or mode-specific effects.
- Further investigation is required to determine if these differences are due to exercise mode specificity.