Performance and Psychophysiological Effects of Light-Guided Pacing During a 5000-m Run.

Purpose: In world-class middle- and long-distance running races, a Wavelight signal has recently been used as a pacing guide for setting records. The aim of the present study was to compare performance and psychophysiological effects between light-guided, drafting, and nonassisted pacing conditions in distance runners.

Methods: Fifteen male middle- and long-distance runners of national and regional standard ran three 5000-m time trials in a counterbalanced order with the following pacing distribution: the first 4000 m and last 1000 m were covered at submaximal and maximal intensities, respectively.

Short-Term Speed Variability as an Index of Pacing Stochasticity in Athletic Running Events.

We aimed to compare differences in performance and pacing variability indices between 5000 m heats and finals during major championships in men and women. Data with 100 m time resolution were used to compare overall pacing variability (standard deviation of 100 m section times, SD; and coefficient of variation, CV%) and short-term pacing variability (root mean square of successive differences between 100 m section times, RMSSD). The changes in performance and pacing indices differed between races and competitions.

Exercise Dose Equalization in High-Intensity Interval Training: A Scoping Review.

Based on comparisons to moderate continuous exercise (MICT), high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is becoming a worldwide trend in physical exercise. This raises methodological questions related to equalization of exercise dose when comparing protocols. The present scoping review aims to identify in the literature the evidence for protocol equalization and the soundness of methods used for it.

Differentiating Endurance-and Speed-Adapted Types of Elite and World Class Milers According to Biomechanical, Pacing and Perceptual Responses during a Sprint Interval Session.

The aim was to compare pacing, biomechanical and perceptual responses between elite speed-and endurance-adapted milers during a sprint interval training session (SIT). Twenty elite and world-class middle-distance runners (male: = 16, female: n = 4; 24.95 ± 5.

Re-thinking athlete training loads: would you rather have one big rock or lots of little rocks dropped on your foot?

Determination of athlete training loads is of great interest to sport practitioners and is widely used in the prescription and monitoring of physical conditioning programmes. Although a number of methods of load quantification are used, a common feature is that total load calculations are the product of exercise intensity and duration. We argue that these methods may be limited, however, as they do not account for non-linearities in the biological response to stress, with the end result being that they fail to fully account for the load imposed by high-intensity or interval-based training sessions.

Effects of different goal orientations and virtual opponents performance level on pacing strategy and performance in cycling time trials.

We investigated the effects of different performance goals (best time beat the opponent) on pacing behaviour during a 10-km cycling race and explored the influence of different performance level of opponents on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), affective feelings and self-efficacy. Thirteen cyclists performed two time-trials (TT) and two races against a faster (FAST +6%) or a slower (SLOW -3%) virtual opponent. Power output (PO), RPE, affective feelings and self-efficacy were recorded at each kilometre point.

Pacing and Performance in the 6 World Marathon Majors.

The main goal of this study was to analyse the pacing strategies displayed by the winners of the six World Marathon Majors in order to determine which race offers the greatest potential for future world record attempts. For data analysis, the total distance of the marathon was divided into eight sections of 5 km and a final section of 2.195 km, and time needed to complete each section was calculated in seconds.

More Pace Variation and Pack Formation in Successful World-Class 10,000-m Runners Than in Less Successful Competitors.

Purpose: To determine different relationships between, and predictive ability of, performance variables at intermediate distances with finishing time in elite male 10,000-m runners.

Methods: Official electronic finishing and 100-m split times of the men's 10,000-m finals at the 2008 and 2016 Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships in 2013 and 2017 were obtained (125 athlete performances in total). Correlations were calculated between finishing times and positions and performance variables related to speed, position, time to the leader, and time to the runner in front at 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 9900 m.

Pacing profiles and tactical behaviors of elite runners.

The pacing behaviors used by elite athletes differ among individual sports, necessitating the study of sport-specific pacing profiles. Additionally, pacing behaviors adopted by elite runners differ depending on race distance. An "all-out" strategy, characterized by initial rapid acceleration and reduction in speed in the later stages, is observed during 100 m and 200 m events; 400 m runners also display positive pacing patterns, which is characterized by a reduction in speed throughout the race.

A Plyometric Warm-Up Protocol Improves Running Economy in Recreational Endurance Athletes.

This study explored the impact of two differing warm-up protocols (involving either resistance exercises or plyometric exercises) on running economy (RE) in healthy recreationally active participants. Twelve healthy university students [three males, nine females, age 20 ± 2 years, maximal oxygen uptake (38.4 ± 6.

The Relationship between Tactical Positioning and the Race Outcome in 800-M Running at the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 IAAF World Championship.

The purpose of this analysis was to quantify the probability of achieving a top-3 finishing position during 800-m races at a global championship, based on dispersion of the runners during the first and second laps and the difference in split times between laps. Overall race times, intermediate and finishing positions and 400 m split times were obtained for 43 races over 800 m (21 men's and 22 women's) comprising 334 individual performances, 128 of which resulted in higher positions (top-3) and 206 the remaining positions. Intermediate and final positions along with times, the dispersion of the runners during the intermediate and final splits (SS1 and SS2), as well as differences between the two split times (Dsplits) were calculated.

Affective Feelings and Perceived Exertion During a 10-km Time Trial and Head-to-Head Running Race.

Purpose: To verify the affective feelings (AFs) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses during a 10-km competitive head-to-head (HTH) running race and compare them with a time-trial (TT) running race.

Methods: Fourteen male runners completed 2 × 10-km runs (TT and HTH) on different days. Speed, RPE, and AF were measured every 400 m.

Lane and Heat Draw Have Little Effect on Placings and Progression in Olympic and IAAF World Championship 800 m Running.

The aim of this study was to establish whether the lane and heat draw influenced placings and progression in world-class 800-m track running. Finishing positions and times of 1,086 performances at the Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships between 1999 and 2017 were obtained. Mean finishing and season's best times (SB), as well as placings and progression rates, were found for each heat number and for the inner (Lanes 1 and 2), middle (Lanes 3-6), and outer lanes (Lanes 7 and 8).

Different psychophysiological responses to a high-intensity repetition session performed alone or in a group by elite middle-distance runners.

Internal training load refers to the degree of disturbance in psychophysiological homeostasis provoked by a training session and has been traditionally measured through session-RPE, which is the product of the session Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and the duration. External training load refers to the actual physical work completed, and depends on session volume, intensity, frequency and density. Drafting, which is achieved by running closely behind another runner has been demonstrated to reduce the energy cost of running at a fixed speed and to improve performance.

Athletic Races Represent Complex Systems, and Pacing Behavior Should Be Viewed as an Emergent Phenomenon.

Pacing is the manner in which effort is distributed over the duration of an exercise bout, and is an important determinant of the extent to which individual potential is realized during athletic races. Observed pacing behaviors are thought to result from complex decision-making processes, and several models have been proposed that may explain the manner in which these decisions are made. In this article we argue that examination of individual factors implicated in the regulation of pacing is unlikely to allow full understanding of the events leading to pacing and performance.

Fortune Favors the Brave: Tactical Behaviors in the Middle-Distance Running Events at the 2017 IAAF World Championships.

Purpose: To assess tactical and performance factors associated with progression from qualification rounds in the 800-m and 1500-m running events at the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships.

Methods: Official results were used to access final and intermediate positions and times, as well as performance characteristics of competitors. Shared variance between intermediate positions and rank order lap times with finishing positions were calculated, along with probability of automatic qualification, for athletes in each available race position at the end of every 400-m lap.

Physiological Responses to and Athlete and Coach Perceptions of Exertion During Small-Sided Basketball Games.

Vaquera, A, Suárez-Iglesias, D, Guiu, X, Barroso, R, Thomas, G, and Renfree, A. Physiological responses to and athlete and coach perceptions of exertion during small-sided basketball games. J Strength Cond Res 32(10): 2949-2953, 2018-This study describes heart rate (HR) responses during different small-sided games (SSGs) in junior basketball players and identifies the level of agreement between athlete and coach perceptions of internal training load calculated using the in-task rating of perceived exertion (RPE) method.

A Computer Model of Drafting Effects on Collective Behavior in Elite 10,000-m Runners.

Purpose: Drafting in cycling influences collective behavior of pelotons. Although evidence for collective behavior in competitive running events exists, it is not clear if this results from energetic savings conferred by drafting. This study modeled the effects of drafting on behavior in elite 10,000-m runners.

The Influence of Collective Behavior on Pacing in Endurance Competitions.

A number of theoretical models have been proposed in recent years to explain pacing strategies observed in individual competitive endurance events. These have typically related to the internal regulatory processes that inform the making of decisions relating to muscular work rate. Despite a substantial body of research which has investigated the influence of collective group dynamics on individual behaviors in various animal species, this issue has not been comprehensively studied in individual athletic events.

Influence of an Enforced Fast Start on 10-km-Running Performance.

The effects of an enforced fast start on long-distance performance are controversial and seem to depend on the athlete's capacity to delay and tolerate metabolic disruption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an enforced start on 10-km-running performance and the influence of the some physiological and performance variables on the ability to tolerate an enforced fast start during the running. Fifteen moderately trained runners performed two 10-km time trials (TTs): free pacing (FP-TT) and fast start (FS-TT).

Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the TIVRE-Basket Test for the Determination of Aerobic Power in Elite Male Basketball Players.

The aims of this study were to (a) determine the relationship between performance on the court-based TIVRE-Basket test and peak aerobic power determined from a criterion laboratory-based incremental treadmill test and (b) to examine the test-retest reliability of the TIVRE-Basket test in elite male basketball players. To address aim 1, 36 elite male basketball players (age: 25.2 ± 4.

The influence of performance level, age and gender on pacing strategy during a 100-km ultramarathon.

The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of performance level, age and gender on pacing during a 100-km ultramarathon. Results of a 100-km race incorporating the World Masters Championships were used to identify differences in relative speeds in each 10-km segment between participants finishing in the first, second, third and fourth quartiles of overall positions (Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively). Similar analyses were performed between the top and bottom 50% of finishers in each age category, as well as within male and female categories.