The role of anaerobic ability in middle distance running performance

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between anaerobic ability and middle distance running performance. Ten runners of similar performance capacities (5 km times: 16.72, SE 0.2 min) were examined during 4 weeks of controlled training. The runners performed a battery of tests each week [maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), vertical jump, and Margaria power run] and raced 5 km three times (weeks 1, 2, 4) on an indoor 200-m track (all subjects competing). Regression analysis revealed that the combination of time to exhaustion (TTE) during the VO2max test (r2 = 0.63) and measures from the Margaria power test (W.kg-1, r2 = 0.18; W, r2 = 0.05) accounted for 86% of the total variance in race times (P less than 0.05). Regression analysis demonstrated that TTE was influenced by both anaerobic ability [vertical jump, power (W.kg-1) and aerobic capacity (VO2max, ml.kg-1.min-1)]. These results indicate that the anaerobic systems influence middle distance performance in runners of similar abilities.