OXYGEN UPTAKE
What is needed to achieve high physical performance for many hours of intense physical activities, such as marathon running? – It seems like an easy question to answer, just lots of exercise. That is of course true, but there are a lot of things to consider in order to efficiently execute a training program. For that reason, it is good to know how the muscles converts fat and carbohydrates to tension in muscle fibers. For Type I muscle fibres that conversion requires oxygen, which is absorbed in the lungs, then transported by red blood cells to the muscles by heart beats. For this complex system to handle high physical performance during long periods of time, many things need to be in place. There must be efficient energy storage, high oxygen uptake and the fluids in balance, just to mention a few factors.
BODY WEIGHT
There are other factors which indirectly have an effect on running performance. For instance, when starting a training program, the initial results may look very bad. At the same time improvements often come in painfully small steps. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the body is in a very bad shape. It just indicates that the body needs to adapt, and that it is slightly too heavy. Assume a person is a very fast runner, one reason for being able to hold a fast pace, is usually low body weight. If the same person was heavier, the results would not be the same, since it requires more energy to run with more weight. Of course it requires a lot of exercise to reduce body weight, but that is still not hard to do, since fat burning is most efficient when performing low intensity training. Long slow runs in combination with optimization of food is an efficient way to reduce weight.
RUNNING ECONOMY
Another aspect is the running economy, which is mainly about the body posture when running. At the start of a training program, a person out of shape usually wants to run faster than the person is able to. That often leads to a suboptimal body posture, which makes running more energy consuming.
A runner who cannot run fast, often tend to lean forward, making the center of mass positioned too far in front of the hips. That makes running very energy consuming, a bit like driving the car with the hand break on. For each step, the impact will be at an angle against the direction of movement. That will gradually drain energy and increase the risk of injury. Leaning forward makes it especially difficult to run uphill, and that is the point where it usually grinds to a halt.
A fit person is able to hold the body more upright with the center of mass almost straight over the hips, which makes the running more energy efficient.
Correct Posture
Center of mass straight over hips
Correct Posture
Impact straight up from the ground
CORE STABILITY
Then there is the issue of core stability, which is the ability to hold the body firm, and to only make the movements necessary to run, without wasting energy on other movements. Unnecessary movement sideways of the arms, or other upper body movements, can gradually drain energy. The goal is that every calorie should be used to move the body forward as efficiently as possible. Of course a firm stable upper body requires exercise, but that is not directly related to the running itself. That can typically be strengthened by abdominal and back exercises.
Dumbbells
Back extension
ENERGY, NUTRITION, FLUID BALANCE AND RECOVERY
When trying to lose weight, some people may decide to eat less carbohydrates, which is a good method for that purpose. But it is not a good idea to abandon carbohydrates totally, if fast running is the goal. For slower runs, fast energy may not be critical, but for fast runs and when there are lots of slopes along the course, it is necessary to have glycogen stored in the body. But when eating carbohydrates, it is important to only eat those at certain times, mainly just before and after running. At other time of day, it is still a good idea to have a low carbohydrate intake. One possible exception is when carbo loading before a marathon race. Of course, everyone with a medical condition should consult a doctor to get advice how to eat during a training program.
It is also important to have good fluid balance during exercise. For that reason it is a good idea to bring water when running long distances. Other important factors are, to have sufficient recovery time after intensive workout sessions, and to get sufficient sleep. Rest is just as important as exercise to make the effort sustainable. When recovering, it is important to make sure to eat food that supports recovery and buildup of muscles and red blood cells. Minerals like iron are important as well as proteins, to build muscles. Ordinary meals usually contain sufficient amount of protein, but it may require a bit extra effort for vegetarians.
Fat is usually nothing to worry about, even quite skinny people typically have stored fat, with energy corresponding to multiple marathon races. Although fat only gives low power energy, it still contains much more energy per unit weight than carbohydrates. The difference is how fast the body can access the energy. Carbohydrates can provide high intensity energy, but that fuel gets depleted after a few hours, while fat can last for longer time, but only for lower intensity activities. The fat burning efficiency can be improved to some extent by training.
Nutrition
Nutrition / Minerals
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates
ENVIRONMENT
One thing that can impact performance is air temperature. If the environment is too hot or too cold in relation to the running gear used, it will impact performance. The best conditions is to run in slightly cool conditions, since the body temperature rises during the run. If it is very hot, it is important to drink water continously to cool down and to keep the oxygen transport efficient.
THE CONCLUSION OF ALL THIS
The point I want to make, is that a person that doesn’t perform well at the start of a training period, should be aware that things can easily get much better. Although it takes a while to get all these things going, it is good to know that high performance is not only about muscle strength, maximal heart rate or oxygen uptake etc. There are other things that play into this, which are indirectly related to fitness. When those pieces are in place, it usually results in a breakthrough in running performance.
When the body easily can hold the right posture, the performance increases a lot instantly. As the body weight decreases, every step becomes easier, and that will make the result much better as well. Before reaching that breakthrough, many runners give up, but with a bit of patience things will become a lot easier at a certain point.
A marathon running friend said something interesting. He is convinced it is harder to run a marathon slow than to run it fast, since more energy is required to run for longer time, especially when the energy is used inefficiently. It is worth being patient and to aim for the breakthrough level. High performance is much about high efficiency.