Aerobic And Anaerobic Changes In Collegiate Male Runners Across A Cross-County Season

The purpose of this study was to assess the physiological characteristics of trained NCAA Division III male runners across a competitive season of cross-country. Eight male distance runners (age 20.6±1.4 y) were administered a battery of aerobic and anaerobic laboratory tests at the beginning and end of an 8–10 week racing season. Aerobic testing included maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2max)), running economy (RE), ventilatory threshold (VT) and the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). Anaerobic testing consisted of the vertical jump (VJ) and the Wingate test. Final testing revealed anaerobic Wingate peak power significantly declined (11.8±1.1 to 10.7±1.0 W·kg(−1)) (P = 0.006), while no significant changes were seen in VJ or any aerobic parameters (P > 0.05). These results indicate that a competitive cross-country season of training and racing diminished anaerobic peak power and failed to elicit quantifiable aerobic adaptations in previously trained collegiate distance runners.