Review of factors determining performance in long distance running
Author(s): Ganesh Prasad Pokhariyal
Abstract: The effect of special attributes of Long distance runners that assist them to enhance their performance in various competitions need to be analysed individually as well as collectively. High altitude living and training helps athletes to develop better lung capacity which benefits them mostly for events at lower altitudes. Light body weight, healthy diets and longer legs are considered to be some of the additional advantages for the long distance runners. The objective of the review is to develop theoretical framework and formulate hypotheses for each of the special attributes that contribute to the performance in the long distance running, which can then be tested with the help of collected data from various events by the concerned individuals and organisations. This would assist in selecting the prospective athletes and formulating training strategies for their performance in the competitions. Such a holistic approach to investigate the influence of the attributes individually and jointly on the performance of athletes during long distance events has been missing in the literature. As an example, a dry run for the influence of slightly longer femur is demonstrated by considering the step lengths of both male and female athletes and computing the advantages during middle distance, long distance and marathon events. The effect on the performance of athletes in long distance races by each of the remaining attributes can be tested, through corresponding hypothesis, by collecting data from the actual events. The structures of tendons, ligaments and shoulders of athletes may have an influence on their performance, but in the study hypotheses, these are not considered.
Ganesh Prasad Pokhariyal. Review of factors determining performance in long distance running. Int J Stat Appl Math 2023;8(3):84-88. DOI: 10.22271/maths.2023.v8.i3b.981
