Author's personal copy Science & Sports (2013) 28, 165—171 Disponible en ligne sur www.sciencedirect.com REVIEW Running efficiency and long-distance performance prediction: Influence of allometric scaling Efficience métabolique et prédiction de la performance en course à pied de longue distance : intérêt de la normalisation allométrique a,b,c,d, b,e b M. Peikriszwili Tartaruga ∗, C. Bolli Mota , L.A. Peyré-Tartaruga , b c,d c,d L.F. Martins Kruel , J.-M. Vallier , J. Brisswalter a Midwest State university of Paraná, LABIER, Guarapuava, Brazil b Federal university of Rio Grande do Sul, LAPEX, Porto Alegre, Brazil c Université de Toulon, LAMHESS, EA 6309, 83957 La Garde, France d Laboratory of human motricity, education, sport and health, university of Nice Sophia Antipolis, EA 6309, 261st, route de Grenoble, BP 3259, 06205 Nice cedex 03, France e Laboratory of biomechanics, Federal university of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil Received 4 February 2013; accepted 23 February 2013 Available online 6 June 2013 KEYWORDS Summary Allometric model; Bodyweight; Objectives. — The purpose of the present review was to investigate the influence of allometric scaling on the capacity to predict running performance using running efficiency (REff) values. Energy cost; News. — REff, defined as oxygen consumption per unit distance, is believed to be a factor that Running economy is useful in the prediction of middle- and long-distance running performance. However, among factors that affect the relationship between REff and long-distance running performance, some authors have investigated the way in which body size impacts performance. Several studies sup- port the use of allometric scaling and authors have tried to demonstrate that an indiscriminate 1 1 use of the unit ml kg min for oxygen consumption (VO ) is inappropriate for comparing VO · − · − 2 2 values between subjects of different body characteristics. Prospects and projects. — To date, the role of allometric scaling in the relationship between REff and the performance of long-distance runners has not been clearly demonstrated, even if 1 there is some evidence that the use of kg− is not appropriate. Conclusions. — Further studies are needed to investigate the ways in which allometric scaling can be used to predict running performance using REff values. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (M. Peikriszwili Tartaruga). 0765-1597/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2013.02.007 Author's personal copy 166 M. Peikriszwili Tartaruga et al. Résumé Objectifs. — L’objectif de cette revue est d’étudier l’influence d’une normalisation allométrique MOTS CLÉS sur la prédiction des performances de longue distance à partir de l’efficience en course à pied Modèle allométrique ; (running efficiency — REff). Masse corporelle ; Actualités. — REff qui est définie comme la consommation d’oxygène par unité de distance Coût énergétique ; est considérée comme un facteur important dans la prédiction de la performance en course Économie de course à pied de moyenne et longue distance. Cependant, certains auteurs ont étudié la manière dont la morphologie du coureur influe la relation entre REff et la performance de longue dis- tance. Plusieurs études appuient l’utilisation d’une normalisation allométrique des valeurs de consommation d’oxygène (VO2) et ont tenté de démontrer que l’utilisation de l’unité de VO2 en 1 1 ml kg min n’est pas appropriée pour comparer les valeurs de REff de sujets morphologique- · − · − ment différents. Perspectives et projets. — À ce jour, les effets de l’utilisation d’une normalisation allométrique dans la relation entre REff et la performance de longue distance ne sont pas clairement démontrés, même si plusieurs résultats expérimentaux montrent que l’utilisation d’un normal- 1 isation en kg− n’est pas appropriée. Des études complémentaires sont nécessaires pour mieux comprendre l’intérêt d’une normalisation allométrique pour améliorer la relation de prédiction entre REff et la performance. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés. 1. Introduction of comparing oxygen consumption between subjects of different body characteristics. In one of the first studies, ˙ Von Dobeln [33] found that VO2 max was related to fat-free Running efficiency (REff) is classically assessed in terms of body mass raised to the power of 0.71 in a mixed population the energy required to run at a given submaximal veloc- (both sexes). More recently, Bergh, Sjodin, Forsberg and ity (running economy - RE) [1], or the metabolic energy Svedenhag [13] indicated that oxygen consumption during expended per unit of distance (energy cost of running - Cr) running does not increase proportionally to body mass and, [2]. In existing literature, it is classically suggested that REff as such, they proposed that in maximal or submaximal is an important factor that can be used to predict middle- intensity, oxygen consumption needs to be relativized to and long-distance running performance [3—9]. According to 2 ¾ ⁄3 1 kg− and kg− , as opposed to kg− . Furthermore, Sjodin initial reports by Daniels [8], REff can vary by more than 30% and Svedenhag [34] suggested that changes in REff and among runners who have a similar maximal oxygen uptake ˙ VO2 max in adolescent boys during growth may be largely due ˙ (VO2 max). However, despite the fact that the importance of to an overestimation of oxygen consumption, justifying the REff on running performance has been recognized since the use of allometric models. However, the role of this normal- 1970s, this factor remains relatively ignored in existing sci- ization in the relationship between REff and long-distance entific literature compared to other performance factors; running performance has not been clearly demonstrated, ˙ for example, VO2 max and the ability to sustain a high per- even if some arguments indicate that it could improve ˙ centage of VO2 max for an extended period of time [3]. performance predictions [3]. Among the factors that affect the relationship between The purpose of the present review article was to inves- REff and long-distance running performance, some authors tigate the influence of allometric scaling on the capacity to have investigated the way in which an athlete’s body size predict running performance using REff values. affects their performance [10—15]. Examining the anthro- pometric characteristics of top athletes could provide an indication of the directions of this effect [13]. Long-distance 2. Metabolic rate and allometric scaling runners tend to be lighter than both rowers [16] and cross- country skiers [17]. Moreover, long-distance runners usually The relationship between body mass and metabolic rate has weigh less than the average person of comparable age and attracted the interest of biologists and healthcare profes- sex, indicating that individuals who are light have an advan- sionals throughout the world [12,14,35,36]. Since the early tage in this particular event [13]. studies of Rubner [23] and Kleiber [37], some studies have To take into account the effect of body mass when been developed with the goal of understanding the rela- comparing individuals with different morphology, some tionship between metabolic rate and allometric exponent researchers have suggested the use of allometric scaling for [12,36]. efficiency assessment [10—15,18—22]. Allometric scaling is a Rubner demonstrated the existence of the relationship methodological approach that was first proposed by Rubner between metabolic rate and body size of dogs. Accord- [23] but has more recently been applied in health sciences ing to their study, small dogs have higher metabolic rates [24] or human movement sciences [11,12,15,21,22,25—32]. per kilogram body mass than larger dogs. He found that 2 In studies that support the use of allometric scaling, there was a relationship between metabolic rate and ⁄3 authors try to demonstrate that an indiscriminate use of of body mass (r = 0.71); [38]. In 1932, Kleiber studied the 1 1 the unit ml kg− min− is inappropriate for the purposes relationship between metabolic rate and body mass and, · · Author's personal copy Allometric scaling and running performance 167 using rats and birds of different sizes, he found a higher metabolic rate is greater than the basal metabolic rate metabolic rate with an allometric exponent to ¾ of body [43], a result not previously predicted by any theoretical mass (r = 0.98), which was different than that proposed by model [44]. Furthermore, some conceptual and mathe- Rubner. To confirm his findings, Kleiber [39] published a fur- matical errors have been identified in the main models ther study that demonstrated the existence of a relationship proposed to explain the origin of the exponent three-quarter between metabolic rate and ¾ of mammalian body mass of metabolic rate [40,43], weakening the theoretical support different sizes (Fig. 1). of Kleiber’s law and strengthening the argument pertaining For both researchers, metabolic rate can be determined to the existence of specific allometric exponents. by a regression equation (equation (1)) that indicates the Banavar et al. [45] and West et al. [18] proposed that behavior of variable Y on body mass X, where a corresponds allometric scaling, or scale metabolic, may be understood to the vertical interception, called the allometric coeffi- in terms of bases that limit supply and/or physiological pro- cient (constant characteristic for the organism), and b is cesses that contribute to the regulation of metabolic rate, the allometric or scaling exponent [11,19,36]. as proposed later by Darveau et al. [19], Hochachka et al. b [46] and others (Fig. 2). This demonstrates the existence Y aX (1) = of specific allometric exponents and is contrary to the the- 2 ories proposed by Rubner (in 1983) (b = ⁄3) and Kleiber (in The exponential function can be transformed into a linear 1932) (b = ¾).