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Superior endurance performance in aging mountain runners.

Martin Burtscher¹, Holger Förster, Johannes Burtscher

¹Department of Sport Sciences, Medical Section, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. martin.burtscher@uibk.ac.at

|July 30, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Elite mountain runners maintain high oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (VO2AT) until age 49. Endurance capacity remains significantly elevated in older runners compared to untrained individuals.

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Area of Science:

Exercise Physiology
Sports Science
Human Performance

Background:

Oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (VO2AT) is a key determinant of human endurance performance.
Endurance capacity typically declines with age, but elite mountain runners exhibit exceptional performance.
This study investigates age- and gender-related endurance limits in elite mountain runners.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the age- and gender-related upper limits of endurance performance in elite mountain running.
To analyze the relationship between VO2AT values and running times in this population.

Main Methods:

Analysis of results from the 2007 World Masters Athletic Championships in Mountain Running.
Laboratory testing of 10 elite mountain runners to assess VO2AT and running performance.

Main Results:

Race times for top finishers showed no significant difference between ages 35 and 49.
Mean VO2AT was 68.0 ml/min/kg (males) and 58.1 ml/min/kg (females) in younger age groups.
VO2AT decreased by 29.1% (males) and 33.9% (females) in age groups up to 70+.

Conclusions:

Elite mountain runners maintain peak VO2AT and likely VO2max until ages 45-49.
Despite age-related declines, endurance capacity in elite mountain runners over 70 remains substantially higher than in untrained peers.