The aim of the present study was to examine the physiological and mechanical factors which may be concerned in the increase in energy cost during running in a fatigued state. A group of 15 trained triathletes ran on a treadmill at velocities corresponding to their personal records over 3000m [mean 4.53 (SD 0.28) m · s-1] until they felt exhausted. The changes in CR (energy cost of running) were linked (r = 0.77, P < 0.01) to the changes in the variability of step frequency and in the variability of potential cost suggesting that a large proportion of the increase in CR was due to an increase in the step variability.
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