A method of analysis developed and applied to male athletes is used to determine physiological data for female athletes. The analytical method rests on the construction of an energy balance incorporating a mathematical representation of each of the major terms in the balance. By recasting the energy balance, a relationship between race distance and running time is derived. Excellent agreement with results for female athletes from recent Olympic Games for distances from 100 to 10,000 m is established. From the analysis, representative values of the maximum anaerobic power, the maximum aerobic power and the rate of degradation of mechanical energy into heat are derived for elite female athletes.
© Copyright 1995 Journal of Sports Sciences. Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.