Purpose: This study compares the training characteristics and the physical profiles of top-class male and female Kenyan long-distance runners. Method: The subjects were 20 elite Kenyan runners: 13 men (10-km performance time: 10-km performance time of 28 min, 36 s +/- 18 s) and 7 women (32 min, 32 s +/- 65 s). The male runners were separated into high-speed training runners (HST:N = 6) 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 (v[latin capital V with dot above]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 [latin capital V with dot above]O2max, v[latin capital V with dot above]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 v[latin capital V with dot above]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 [latin capital V with dot above]O2max, a lower (but not significantly) fraction of v[latin capital V with dot above]O2max (F[latin capital V with dot above]O2max) at the lactate threshold, and a higher energy cost of running (ECR). Among men, the weekly training distance at v[latin capital V with dot above]O2max explained 59% of the variance of v[latin capital V with dot above]O2max, and v[latin capital V with dot above]O2max explained 52% of the variance of 10-km performance time. Kenyan women had a high [latin capital V with dot above]O2max and F[latin capital V with dot above]O2max at vLT that was lower than their male HST counterparts. ECR was not significantly different between genders. Conclusion: The velocity at the [latin capital V with dot above]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 [latin capital V with dot above]O2max among men.
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