Exploring the Anthropometric, Cardiorespiratory, and Haematological Determinants of Marathon Performance

Georgios A Christou, Efstathios D Pagourelias, Asterios P Deligiannis, Evangelia J Kouidi, Georgios A Christou, Efstathios D Pagourelias, Asterios P Deligiannis, Evangelia J Kouidi

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to investigate the main anthropometric, cardiorespiratory and haematological factors that can determine marathon race performance in marathon runners.

Methods: Forty-five marathon runners (36 males, age: 42 ± 10 years) were examined during the training period for a marathon race. Assessment of training characteristics, anthropometric measurements, including height, body weight (n = 45) and body fat percentage (BF%) (n = 33), echocardiographic study (n = 45), cardiopulmonary exercise testing using treadmill ergometer (n = 33) and blood test (n = 24) were performed. We evaluated the relationships of these measurements with the personal best marathon race time (MRT) within a time frame of one year before or after the evaluation of each athlete.

Results: The training age regarding long-distance running was 9 ± 7 years. Training volume was 70 (50-175) km/week. MRT was 4:02:53 ± 00:50:20 h. The MRT was positively associated with BF% (r = 0.587, p = 0.001). Among echocardiographic parameters, MRT correlated negatively with right ventricular end-diastolic area (RVEDA) (r = -0.716, p < 0.001). RVEDA was the only independent echocardiographic predictor of MRT. With regard to respiratory parameters, MRT correlated negatively with maximum minute ventilation indexed to body surface area (VEmax/BSA) (r = -0.509, p = 0.003). Among parameters of blood test, MRT correlated negatively with haemoglobin concentration (r = -0.471, p = 0.027) and estimated haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) (r = -0.680, p = 0.002). After performing multivariate linear regression analysis with MRT as dependent variable and BF% (standardised β = 0.501, p = 0.021), RVEDA (standardised β = -0.633, p = 0.003), VEmax/BSA (standardised β = 0.266, p = 0.303) and Hbmass (standardised β = -0.308, p = 0.066) as independent variables, only BF% and RVEDA were significant independent predictors of MRT (adjusted R2 = 0.796, p < 0.001 for the model).

Conclusions: The main physiological determinants of better marathon performance appear to be low BF% and RV enlargement. Upregulation of both maximum minute ventilation during exercise and haemoglobin mass may have a weaker effect to enhance marathon performance.

Clinical trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04738877.

Keywords: body fat percentage; cardiopulmonary exercise testing; echocardiography; haemoglobin; marathon race.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Copyright © 2021 Christou, Pagourelias, Deligiannis and Kouidi.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart showing the selection of study participants. BF%, body fat percentage; BW, body weight; CPET, cardiopulmonary exercise testing; Echo, transthoracic echocardiography.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The relationship [n = 33 (27 males, 6 females)] between marathon race time and body fat percentage.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The relationship [n = 33 (27 males, 6 females)] between marathon race time and maximum minute ventilation indexed to body surface area (VEmax/BSA).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The relationship [n = 45 (36 males, 9 females)] of marathon race time with right ventricular end-diastolic area (RVEDA) and average of septal and lateral late diastolic mitral annular velocity [MVA(s-l)].
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
The relationship [n = 24 (19 males, 5 females)] of marathon race time with haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) and estimated haemoglobin mass (Hbmass).
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves showing the ability of right ventricular end-diastolic area (RVEDA) [n = 45 (36 males, 9 females)] and body fat percentage (BF%) [n = 33 (27 males, 6 females)] to discriminate between athletes with marathon race time (MRT) < 3:00:00 and the ones with MRT ≥ 3:00:00.

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