Training and bioenergetic characteristics in elite male and female Kenyan runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35

and low-speed training runners (LST: N 7) depending on whether they train at speeds equal or higher than those associated with the maximal oxygen uptake (vV ˙ O2max). All but one woman were high-speed training runners (female HST: N 6). Subjects performed an incremental test on a 400-m track to determine V ˙ O2max, vV ˙ O2max, and the velocity at the lactate threshold (vLT). Results: Within each gender among the HST group, 10-km performance time was inversely correlated with vV ˙ O2max (rho 0.86, P 0.05, and rho 0.95, P 0.03, for men and women, respectively). HST male runners had a higher V ˙ O2max, a lower (but not significantly) fraction of vV ˙ O2max (FV ˙ O2max) at the lactate threshold, and a higher energy cost of running (ECR). Among men, the weekly training distance at vV ˙ O2max explained 59 % of the variance of vV ˙ O2max, and vV ˙ O2max explained 52 % of the variance of 10-km performance time. Kenyan women had a high V ˙ O2max and FV ˙ O2max at vLT that was lower than their male HST counterparts. ECR was not significantly different between genders. Conclusion: The velocity at the V ˙ O2max is the main factor predicting the variance of the 10-km performance both in men and women, and high-intensity training contributes to this higher V ˙ O2max among men. Key Words: AFRICA, V ˙ O2MAX