Effects of Age and Recovery Duration on Performance During Multiple Treadmill Sprints

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age and recovery duration on performance during multiple treadmill sprints. Twelve boys (11.7 ± 0.5 y) and thirteen men (22.1 ± 2.9 y) performed ten consecutive 10-s sprints on a non-motorised treadmill separated by 15-s (R15) and 180-s (R180) passive recovery intervals. Mean power output (MPO), mean force output (MFO), running velocity, step length, and step rate were calculated for each sprint. Capillary blood samples were drawn from the fingertip at rest and 3 min after the tenth sprint to measure the lactate accumulation (Delta [La]). With R15, all mechanical parameters decreased significantly less in the boys than in the men over the ten sprints (MPO: - 28.9 vs. - 47.0 %, MFO: - 13.1 vs. - 25.6 %, running velocity: - 18.8 vs. - 29.4 %, p < 0.001, respectively). With R180, all mechanical values remained unchanged in the boys. In the men, MPO and MFO significantly decreased over the ten sprints (- 7.8 % and - 4.6 %, p < 0.05, respectively). The running velocity, however, did not decrease because the decrease in step rate (p < 0.001) was compensated by an increase in step length. For either recovery interval, Delta [La] values were higher in the men compared to the boys (R15: 12.7 vs. 7.7 mmol · L^-1, p < 0.001, R180: 10.7 vs. 7.7 mmol · L^-1, p < 0.05). To conclude, the boys maintained more easily their running performance than the men during repeated treadmill sprints with R15. Three-minute recovery periods were sufficient in the boys to repeat short running sprints without substantial fatigue. Despite the decrease in power and force outputs with R180, the young men were able to maintain their running velocity during the test.

Boys - men - intermittent exercise - running - non-motorised treadmill - fatigue

References

• 1 Alexander R M. Mechanics of walking and running. Reul H, Gista DN, Rau G Perspectives in Biomechanics. New York; Harwood Academic Publishers 1978: 355-379
• 2 Bailey R C, Olson J, Pepper S L, Barstow T J, Cooper D M. The level and tempo of children's physical activity: an observational study.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;  27 1033-1041
• 3 Bar-Or O, Ward D S. Rating of perceived exertion in children. Bar-Or O Advances in Pediatric Sport Sciences. Vol. 3. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics Books 1989: 151-168
• 4 Bell R D, MacDougall J D, Billeter R, Howald H. Muscle fibre types and morphometric analysis of sekeltal muscle in six-year-old children.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1980;  12 28-31
• 5 Berg A, Kim S S, Keul J. Skeletal muscle enzyme activities in healthy young subjects.  Int J Sports Med. 1986;  7 236-239
• 6 Bogdanis G C, Nevill M E, Boobis L H, Lakomy H KA, Nevill A M. Recovery of power output and muscle metabolites following 30 s of maximal sprint cycling in man.  J Physiol. 1995;  482 467-480
• 7 Eriksson B O, Karlsson J, Saltin B. Muscle metabolites during exercise in pubertal boys.  Acta Paediatr Scand. 1971;  217 154-157
• 8 Fargeas M A, Van Praagh E, Pantelidis D, Léger L, Fellmann N, Coudert J. Comparison of cycling and running power outputs in trained children.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1993;  5 415
• 9 Haralambie G. Enzyme activities in skeletal muscle of 13 - 15 years old adolescents.  Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1982;  18 65-74
• 10 Harris R C, Edwards R HT, Hultman E, Nordesjö L O, Nylind B, Sahlin K. The time course of phosphorylcreatine resynthesis during recovery of the quadriceps muscle in man.  Pflügers Arch. 1976;  367 137-142
• 11 Holmyard D J, Cheetham M E, Lakomy H KA, Williams C. Effect of recovery duration on performance during multiple treadmill sprints. Reilly T, Lees A, Davids K, Murphy WJ Proceedings of the First World Congress on Science and Football. London; E. & F. N. Spon 1988: 134-141
• 12 Hunter J P, Marshall R N, McNair P J. Interaction of step length and step rate during sprint running.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;  36 261-271
• 13 Kuno S, Takahashi H, Fujimoto K, Akima H, Miyamaru M, Nemoto I, Itai Y, Katsuta S. Muscle metabolism during exercise using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adolescents.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1995;  70 301-304
• 14 Lakomy H KA. The use of a non-motorised treadmill for analysing sprint performance.  Ergonomics. 1987;  30 627-637
• 15 Mero A, Komi P V. Force-, EMG- and elastic-velocity relationships at submaximal, maximal and supramaximal running speeds in sprinters.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1986;  55 553-561
• 16 Mero A, Komi P V, Gregor R J. Biomechanics of sprint running.  Sports Med. 1992;  13 376-392
• 17 Pandolf K B. Advances in the study and application of perceived exertion.  Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1983;  11 118-158
• 18 Petersen S R, Gaul C A, Stanton M M, Hanstock C C. Skeletal muscle metabolism during short-term, high-intensity exercise in prepubertal and pubertal girls.  J Appl Physiol. 1999;  87 2151-2156
• 19 Ratel S, Bedu M, Hennegrave A, Doré E, Duché P. Effects of age and recovery duration on peak power output during repeated cycling sprints.  Int J Sports Med. 2002;  23 397-402
• 20 Ratel S, Lazaar N, Williams C A, Bedu M, Duché P. Age differences in human skeletal muscle fatigue during high-intensity intermittent exercise.  Acta Paediatr. 2003;  92 1248-1254
• 21 Spriet L L, Lindinger M I, McKelvie R S, Heigenhauser G JF, Jones N L. Muscle glycogenolysis and H⁺ concentration during maximal intermittent cycling.  J Appl Physiol. 1989;  66 8-13
• 22 Sutton N C, Childs D J, Bar-Or O, Armstrong N. A nonmotorized treadmill test to assess children's short-term power output.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2000;  12 91-100
• 23 Taylor D J, Kemp G J, Thompson C H, Radda G K. Ageing: effects on oxidative function of skeletal muscle in vivo.  Mol Cell Biochem. 1997;  174 321-324
• 24 Tong R J, Bell W, Ball G, Winter E M. Reliability of power output measurements during repeated treadmill sprinting in rugby players.  J Sports Sci. 2001;  19 289-297
• 25 Van Praagh E, Fargeas M A, Léger L, Fellmann N, Coudert J. Short-term power output in children measured on a computerised treadmill ergometer.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1993;  5 482
• 26 Williams C A, Carter H, Jones A M, Doust J H. Oxygen uptake kinetics during treadmill running in boys and men.  J Appl Physiol. 2001;  90 1700-1706
• 27 Williams C A, Doré E, James A, Van Praagh E. Short term power output in 9 year old children: Typical error between ergometers and protocols.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2003;  15 302-312
• 28 Williams J G, Eston R G, Furlong B. CERT: A perceived exertion scale for young children.  Percept Mot Skills. 1994;  79 1451-1458
• 29 Yanagiya T, Kanehisa H, Kouzaki M, Kawakami Y, Fukunaga T. Effect of gender on mechanical power output during repeated bouts of maximal running in trained teenagers.  Int J Sports Med. 2003;  24 304-310
• 30 Zanconato S, Buchthal S, Barstow T J, Cooper D M. ³¹P ^- magnetic resonance spectroscopy of leg muscle metabolism during exercise in children and adults.  J Appl Physiol. 1993;  74 2214-2218