How Does VO 2 Evolve During the 800M?

How does VO 2 evolve during the 800m ? Christine Hanon, Claire Thomas, Jean-Michel Le Chevalier, Bruno Gajer, Henry Vandewalle

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Christine Hanon, Claire Thomas, Jean-Michel Le Chevalier, Bruno Gajer, Henry Vandewalle. How does VO 2 evolve during the 800m ?. New Studies in Athletics, IAAF, 2002, 17 (2), pp.61-68. hal- 01753888

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How does VO2 evolve during the 800m? By C. Hanon, C. Thomas, JM. Le Chevalier, B. Gajer, H. Vandewalle

C. Hanon, C. Thomas, JM Le Cheva- lier, B Gajer and H Vandewalle are members or students of INSEP, the french olympic campus. C. Hanon, The purpose of this experiment PhD, was a 800 meters runner. was to examine the evolution of INSEP has dedicated its life to Elite the ventilatory parameters dur- sport performance since its cre- ing 800 meters when 800 meters ation in 1945. It offers optimal are realized according to the education opportunities to elite competition model: fast depar- athletes, who can study (high ture and drop in the speed in the school and university) and prepare final 100 meters. To date, con- their professional career while cerning supramaximal exercises training for international events. only studies realized in constant The 850 athletes who live there are power had been proposed. Our recruited by their respective results indicate that, regarding national sports federations and benefit from all available equip- VO2, the 800m can be described by 3 different phases: 1) during ment and infrastructure, including the first 315 metres, VO increas- a Sport Sciences Department AUTHOR 2 whose priority is to favour the sci- es gradually to reach VO2 max, 2) during the 215m which follow or entific environment of sport and high level performance. until the 530m, VO2 max is maintained, and finally 3) during the

last 270 m, VO2 decreases gradually to reach 80 % of VO2max at I. Introduction the end of running. It thus seems that the fact of leaving faster n order to answer this question, it has than the average speed of run- I to date been necessary to either exam- ABSTRACT ine the rare studies carried out on ning allows to reach VO2max and it more quickly. It also seems treadmill to high speeds, or to consult the that at the same time as the fall results of experiments carried out using the of the speed, one can observe cycle ergometer. In both cases, a consider- able disparity remains concerning the 800m: VO2's fall at the end of the running. either the exercise is realized in constant power, or it does not refer to the specific activity of running. The technological progress and the minia- turisation of devices intended to record the

New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 consumption of oxygen enable these two 61 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m? problems to be solved, to test the evolution Our experiment is aimed at describing the

of VO2 in running, and according to the char- evolution of VO2 during the test. It is possi- acteristics of 800m. ble to distinguish 3 questions:

1-VO2800 value corresponds it to the II. The 800m VO2max value? In other words, does one reach VO max during the 800m? Reminder: it is possible to notice that all 2 the 800m run with the intention of realis- 2-if yes, at what stage? ing a chronometric performance, are real- 3-if yes, does one maintain VO2max up to ized according to a common model (for the end of the 800m? details, to refer to the book " the 800m, the descriptive analysis and the training " from III.1 - Does one reach VO max during Gajer et al. 2000). This model advances the 2 the 800m? fact that the running is not based on the regularity of speed, but on the contrary on For Astrand and Rodahl ( 1994 ), " an exer- a fast departure, followed by a plateau of cise for one minute or even less can involve 500m and by a drop in the speed over the in a maximal way the system of transport of final 100m. It is noted that this drop is even the oxygen ". Gastin and Lawson (1994), marked for elite runners and that this pro- Granier (1995) showed this during all-out file of evolution of the speed is carried over tests realised on bicycle ergometers as well as to other disciplines (standing start kilome- Billat et al. 2000 for running exercises car- tre in cycling, 500 meters kayak, notably). ried out at 120 % of VO2max until exhaus- Our study thus based itself on this chrono- tion. metric model to calibrate the running of On the other hand, for Heugas et al. 1995,

the participating athletes. VO2max is not reached on treadmill running for an exercise carried out

at 130 % of VO2max during approximately 1 min 800<1'49" 8,50 30. With regard to the 1'49"<800>1'51" 800m, Spencer et al. 1'51"<800>1'53" 8,00 (1996) and Spencer and 1'53"<800>1'58" Gastin (2001) simulated 7,50 800 meter running on treadmill, and showed that 7,00

Vitesse m/s the athletes did not reach

6,50 VO2max in these condi- tions. It is noted that these 6,00 studies carried out at con- 1er 100 2ème 100 3ème 100 4ème 100 5ème 100 6ème 100 7ème 100 8ème 100 stant power, were carried out at only 112 and 113 % of MAS (Maximal Aerobic Speed) while according to Figure 1: Evolution of the speed during the 800m according to Lacour (1990), for an the levels of performance. According to Gajer et al. 2000 800m at national level is reached at 120% of MAS. III. The questions III. 2 - At what stage does one reach VO 800 or VO max? The VO2max value is determined during the 2 2 progressive test carried out on the track (test According to Margaria and al. 1965, of TUB2). This value will be compared with VO2max is reached all the more quickly with the VO2 maximal value collected during the intense exercise. The studies conducted in

800m, which we shall call VO 800. this area have presented results that differ, New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 62 2 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m? depending on whether the exercise is for a succession of stages each of 3 minutes realised in constant power or not. duration, beginning at 14 km h-1 and So on a cycle ergomerter (Withers et al. increasing by 2 kmh-1 up to 18 km h-1, 1991), or in a kayak (Zamparo et al. 1999), then by 1 km h-1 to the superior speeds. the power of the exercise is more important These stages are separated by one minute of at the beginning of the effort than the aver- recovery to allow a sample of blood to be age the power of the exercise. This could taken. At each stage, the athletes should explain a faster adaptation of the consump- follow the speed imposed by a broadcasting tion of oxygen. On the contrary, in the study device of sound signals (which replaces the of Nummela and Rusko (1995), the power of usual cassette) The test is stopped when the the exercise on treadmill running is constant. athletes are not capable any more of fol-

The athletes in this study reached a VO2 lowing the rhythm imposed by the signals equal to 79 % of VO2max at the end of the and are unable to make the mark by the test. signal So, it can be interesting to look at 800m IV.2 - The 800m running in its reality, where the departure is faster than the average speed of running to The athlete is asked to perform a regular warm-up (jogging, stretches, mobility exercis- determine at which moment VO2 peak is reached. es, straight lines), and each athlete performs exactly the same warm-up. This is followed by III.3 - Does one maintain VO2 800 or a break of 4 minutes. The material (heart-rate VO2 max during the 800m? monitor, K4) is gradually put on during the This question cannot be supported by the warm-up. For each runner, the speed is pre- knowledge of the previous studies. It is determined for the first 350 metres of run- indeed more the observation of the progress ning according to the model of running of the running that leads(infers) us to put described by Gajer et al. (2000) and modulat- forward this hypothesis. The athletes slow ed with the athlete and the trainer according down at the end of 800m but the speed at to the form and the specificity of the runner. the end of running remains superior to MAS. Whistle blowing each 50m on the basis of Some researchers before us among whom established times allow to the athlete to Pérey & Candeau (1999) were able to note adjust accordingly. An experimenter on bicy- VO2's decline at the end of exhausting tests cle accompanies and encourages the athlete. realised to 95 % of VO2 max. A blood sample is taken at the end of the Given that the 800m is unquestionably an warm-up, at the end of the test and 3, 5, 7, exhausting event, it is possible to ask the and 10 minutes after the 800m. All the tests question: is VO2800 maintained up to the of 800m are filmed so as to determine a pos- end of the race? teriori the exact speed. IV.3 - Modalities of treatment of the IV - Experimental design results The protocol is established by two differ- Calculation of MAS on the track: ent tests: a test to determine VO2max on the track and a test to determine VO2800. During the progressive test of TUB2, the speed maintained during the last stage fully IV.1 - The test to determine VO2max on completed by the runner, can be considered track as the raw MAS, the energy of the last This test is called Test of the University of begun, but uncompleted stage, being mainly Bordeaux II (TUB II) according to Cazorla supplied by the anaerobic metabolism. and Léger (1993). The athletes are equipped with a heart-rate monitor and with a K4 MAS's calculation from the energy cost (portable gas analyser). The test consists of According to Lacour (1990), the MAS is

New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 running on a track, with markers every 25m, equal to the report of the difference 63 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m?

between VO2max and VO2 at rest in the arbi- The VO2max determination criteria are trarily chosen rest equal to 5 ml.kg-1.min-1 respected during this test for all the sub- and the energy cost (guiding coefficient of jects. The level of the physiological charac- the right-hand side of regression among O2 teristics of this group is representative of a and the speed). It is this MAS value which is population of well-trained middle-distance used in the relative expression (MAS) by the runners. speed during the 800m. A. Analysis of the supramaximal test Expression of the results obtained dur- 1. Speeds and performances realised during ing the 800m the 800m Treatment of the various data With the chronometric performances of 2. Results of the various parameters the athletes during the 800m being appre- measured during the 800m ciably different, we normalised the results to homogenise the approach. By means of the In Figure 2, one observes that the kinetics times of passage in every 25m, we redefined of VO2 are broken down into three parts: a curves according to the distance, which phase of inertia preceding a stable state of V enables the same number of points (33) to be obtained and a normalisation clarifies every parameter for all the athletes. 1-st phase: VO2 inertia

From the test, VO2 is 15,9 ± 4,8 ml.min- V. Results 1.kg-1. 45s ± 10,6 of exercise later (that is

316m ± 74,9 metres), VO2 stabilises at a mean V.1 - Physiological characteristics of value of 68,1 ± 5,4 ml.min-1.kg-1. According the subjects during the test of deter- to Figure 1, one observes that the speed is mination of VO2max not regular during the 800m. So, 75m of 1. Analysis of the test TUB2 running later, the speed reaches a peak of 27, The values of the morphological and 3 ± 1,2 km h-1, sharply superior to the aver- physiological parameters (VO2max, HRmax, age speed of the test (23,9 ± 0,7 km h-1 is VEmax, MAS (as previously described), 120,8 ± 3,8 % of VO2maxTUB2). However, the maximal lactatemia) measured during analysis 100m by 100m, indicates that it is the progressive test TUB2 are indicated in the 2-nd 100 m that is the fastest. Table 1.

VO2max TUB2 VEmax FCmax MAS ( km.h-1 ) maximal Lactatémie ( mlO2.min-1.kg-1 ) ( l.min-1 ) ( batt.min-1) ( mmol.l-1 )

66,3 ± 2,3 129,2 ± 11,5 187 ± 12,7 19,2 ± 0,5 10,6 ± 2,5

Table 1 - Mean and standard deviations of the parameters determined during the progressive test TUB2 Realized Average speed during 800m Performances kma.h-1 % of the calculated MAS

120,8 ± 3,4 23,9 ± 0,7 123,9 ± 5,8

Table 2 - Summary of speeds and realized performances New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 64 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m?

1° lap 2° lap 80

70 VO2max (TUB2) VO2 800 40 inertia stability decrease

VO2 (mlO2/mn/kg) 30

0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

22 21 Maximal Aerobic Speed 20 Maximal Aérobic Speed

19 Vitesse (km/h) 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Distance (m)

Fig.2 – Evolution of VO2 and speed during 800 meters.

200

180

160

140 FR (cycle/min) 120 Ve (l/min) 100 VO2 (ml/min/kg)

80 HR (batt/min)

0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Fig. 3 Averages and standard deviations of 4 parameters (VO2, VE, FC, FR) measured during the 800m

2-nd phase: VO2 stable state age speed at the level of this plateau amounts to 24 ± 0,5 km h-1. This value cor- The value peak stable state average of VO2 at the stable state is not significantly differ- responds to 124,4 ± 5,8 % of MAS. ent (p > 0,05) from that measured during the TUB2 (66,3 ± 2,3 mlO2.min-1.kg-1). During 3-rd phase: decrease of O2

this experiment, all the subjects reached According to tables 4 and 5, VO2's decline their VO2 maximal level. According to tables begins at 78 ± 14,4 seconds, either 535 ± 104,9 3 and 4, this stable state of VO2 is observed metres, lasts 43,1s ± 16,8, that is 265 ± 104

between 45 ± 10,6 and 78 ± 14,4 seconds, metres. VO2's value at the end of the 800m either between 316 ± 74,9 and 535 ± 104,9 drops to 54,5 ± 7,1 mlO2.min-1.kg-1, which

metres, that corresponds to a duration of 33s corresponds to 82,7 ± 9,3 % of VO2maxTUB2. ± 5,7, that is 219m ± 40,5 metres. The aver- This represents a decrease of 20,6 ± 7 %. Fur- New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 65 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m?

thermore, the mean value of VO2max's stable However, after the phase of inertia and

state is significantly different (p < 0,001) to VO2's stable state, it emerges during the pres- that averaged in the end of the 800m (54,5 + ent study in the third phase of kinetic O2. 7,1 ml.min-1.kg-1). This last value is statistical- This phase appears for all the athletes and is ly lower than that of the TUB2 (p < 0,001). characterised by a significant decrease of O2 The speed decreases gradually to reach no (p < 0,05), that we will now discuss. more than 21,6 ± 1,8 km h-1 in the last ones VO2: for all the subjects, VO2 decreases by 25m, what remains however superior to MAS 20,6 ± 7 % very slowly and significantly (p < (112,3 ± 9,6 % de MAS). Besides, there is no 0,05) from 78 ± 14,4 seconds (that is 535 correlation (r < 0,7) between VO 's decrease 2 +104,9 m), to a lower value (54,5 ± 7,1 and fall of speed to all the subjects. mlO2.min-1.kg-1), that is lower than VO2max So regarding VO2, the 800m can be (p < 0,001). The observation of this decline is described by 3 different phases: contradictory to most of the results met in ◆ the literature. during the first 315 metres, VO2 increases Nevertheless, some authors among whom gradually to reach VO2 max Numella and Rusko (1995) for the 400m, or ◆ during the 215m which follow or until the 530m , VO max is maintained Gastin and Lawson ( 1994 ), Perrey et al. (1999 2 and 2001) as well as figures presented in arti- ◆ during the 270 m of the end of running, cles of Astrand and Saltin (1961), Gastin and VO2 decreases gradually to reach 80 % of Lawson (1994), Yamamoto and Kanehisa VO max at the end of running. 2 (1995), Zamparo et al. (1999), and Bishop et al. (2000) allow the same phenomenon to appear. VI. Discussion Besides the methodological causes which could be bound to the use of K4, the reasons During this discussion, the reach of VO2's peak, and its modalities will be firstly mentioned to explain VO2's fall can be of dif- analysed. Then, we shall examine in the ferent nature: methodological, physiological and cellular The fall of the speed of running could be plans the causes likely to provoke the decrease advanced. Nevertheless, in spite of this in VO2 that arises at the end of this test. decline, the speed remains superior to the

VO2max values: during this experiment, MAS of the subjects (on average 112,3 ± 9,6 our results suggest that the subjects reach % of MAS in the last ones 25mètres). VO2max with a peak value average of 69 ± The physiological hypotheses allowing the 8,6 ml.min-1.kg-1. This value is not signifi- fall in VO2 at the end of exercise can be cantly different from that measured during explained by hyperventilation (resulting the TUB2 (66,3 ± 2,3 ml.min-1.kg-1), and from the lowering of the pH), the fatigue of corresponds to their level. the respiratory muscles and the decrease in VO2 inertia: the VO2max value after 45 ± 10,6 Tidal volume (VT) noted in this study. All seconds confirms the hypothesis proposed by these factors result in the reduction in the Lacour and al. (1990). On the other hand, they possibility of gas exchange with the blood. do not confirm those presented by Spencer and These observations were already described Gastin (2001) and those of Spencer et al. (1996), by Mahler and Loke (1981), but during ath- who suggest that only 90 % of VO2max is reached during the 800m run on treadmill run- letic tests of long duration, and by Perrey ning. This difference between our results and and al. (2001) during an exercise realised at those of these authors, can be explained by the 95 % of VO2max until exhaustion. shape of the running (faster departure), which It is also possible to mention a possible should contribute to accelerate the kinetics of decline of the cardiac output, the conse-

VO2's adaptation and is reported in the works of quences of the blood acidosis on the fixation Astrand and Saltin (1961) and Margaria et al. of the oxygen on red blood corpuscles and

(1965) among others. on functional capacities of the muscle. New Studies in Athletics • no. 3/4 2002 66 How does VO2 evolve during the 800m? VII. Conclusion Obviously, it is a question of starting fast First of all, it is important to note that for while being capable of remaining relaxed and this level of performance, 800 meters is run thus possessing a reserve with regard to maxi- between 142 and 112% of MAS. mal speed (which probably implies that emphasis should be placed on the develop- More generally, our results suggest that dur- ment of strength, speed and running tech- ing supramaximal exercise of 800m, realised on the track and of variable intensity, the oxy- nique). gen uptake of a trained individual reaches its Regarding VO2max values during the 800m, maximal level after 45 ± 10,6 seconds (that is it is necessary even for this to be put into per- 316 ± 74,9 m), that it stabilises during 33 ± 5,7 spective. This fact implies certainly that it is s (that is 219 ± 40,5 m), and that it decreases necessary to develop the aerobic part of train- slowly by 20,6 ± 7 % in all the subjects from ing, but the results of the study also teach us 78 ±14,4 seconds (that is 535 ± 104,9 meters) that this VO2max level is maintained only dur- while the exercise continues. ing 200m or so of the running… So, the reasons for the fast departures have, The brevity of the 800m and the extreme up to this point been explained only by strate- demand imposed on athletes, means that gic aspects: the fast departure of the 800m and this supramaximal exercise creates a state of

perhaps the short distances can allow VO2max imbalance within the body: notably, the to be reached during the 800m, and more par- decline of the blood pH and the excessive ticularly, to be reached more quickly. This would functioning of certain compartments, which seem to help to explain the fact that 100 % of lead the body to the exhaustion. The obser- the records on 800m are realised according to vation of the decline of O2 would be one of this model of distribution of effort. the resultants.

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