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Effect of performance level on pacing strategy during a 10-km running race

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the performance level of athletes on pacing strategy during a simulated 10-km running race, and the relationship between physiological variables and pacing strategy. Twenty-four male runners performed an incremental exercise test on a treadmill, three 6-min bouts of running at 9, 12 and 15 km h−1, and a self-paced, 10-km running performance trial; at least 48 h separated each test. Based on 10-km running performance, subjects were divided into terziles, with the lower terzile designated the low-performing (LP) and the upper terzile designated the high-performing (HP) group. For the HP group, the velocity peaked at 18.8 ± 1.4 km h−1 in the first 400 m and was higher than the average race velocity (P < 0.05). The velocity then decreased gradually until 2,000 m (P < 0.05), remaining constant until 9,600 m, when it increased again (P < 0.05). The LP group ran the first 400 m at a significantly lower velocity than the HP group (15.6 ± 1.6 km h−1; P > 0.05) and this initial velocity was not different from LP average racing velocity (14.5 ± 0.7 km h−1). The velocity then decreased non-significantly until 9,600 m (P > 0.05), followed by an increase at the end (P < 0.05). The peak treadmill running velocity (PV), running economy (RE), lactate threshold (LT) and net blood lactate accumulation at 15 km h−1 were significantly correlated with the start, middle, last and average velocities during the 10-km race. These results demonstrate that high and low performance runners adopt different pacing strategies during a 10-km race. Furthermore, it appears that important determinants of the chosen pacing strategy include PV, LT and RE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Christine Hanon at the French National Institute of Sport and Physical Education (INSEP) for critical comments. Flávio O Pires is grateful to CAPES for his scholarship.

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sports Science Research Group, Federal University of Alagoas, Alagoas, Brazil

    Adriano E. Lima-Silva

  2. Laboratory of Energetic Determinants to Sport Performance, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Romulo C. M. Bertuzzi, Flavio O. Pires, Ronaldo V. Barros, João F. Gagliardi & Maria A. Kiss

  3. Department of Sport, Coaching and Exercise Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK

    John Hammond

  4. Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    David J. Bishop

Authors
  1. Adriano E. Lima-Silva
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  2. Romulo C. M. Bertuzzi
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  3. Flavio O. Pires
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  4. Ronaldo V. Barros
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  5. João F. Gagliardi
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  6. John Hammond
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  7. Maria A. Kiss
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  8. David J. Bishop
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Bishop.

Additional information

Communicated by Susan Ward.

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Lima-Silva, A.E., Bertuzzi, R.C.M., Pires, F.O. et al. Effect of performance level on pacing strategy during a 10-km running race. Eur J Appl Physiol 108, 1045–1053 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1300-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1300-6

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