Does Muscle Mass Affect Running Times in Male Long-distance Master Runners?

Beat Knechtle; Christoph Alexander Rst; Patrizia Knechtle; Thomas Rosemann

doi:10.5812/asjsm.34547

Abstract

Purpose:

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between skeletal muscle mass, body fat and training characteristics with running times in master athletes (age > 35 years) in half-marathon, marathon and ultra-marathon.

Methods:

We compared skeletal muscle mass, body fat and training characteristics in master half-marathoners (n=103), master marathoners (n=91) and master ultra-marathoners (n=155) and investigated associations between body composition and training characteristics with race times using bi- and multi-variate analyses.

Results:

After multi-variate analysis, body fat was related to half-marathon (?=0.9, P=0.0003), marathon (?=2.2, P<0.0001), and ultra-marathon (?=10.5, P<0.0001) race times. In master half-marathoners (?=-4.3, P<0.0001) and master marathoners (?=-11.9, P<0.0001), speed during training was related to race times. In master ultra-marathoners, however, weekly running kilometers (?=-1.6, P<0.0001) were related to running times.

Conclusions:

To summarize, body fat and training characteristics, not skeletal muscle mass, were associated with running times in master half-marathoners, master marathoners, and master ultra-marathoners. Master half-marathoners and master marathoners rather rely on a high running speed during training whereas master ultra-marathoners rely on a high running volume during training. The common opinion that skeletal muscle mass affects running performance in master runners needs to be questioned.

Keywords

Body Fat Skinfold Thickness Anthropometry Running Sports

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