Is Body Fat a Predictor of Race Time in Female Long-Distance Inline Skaters?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate predictor variables of race time in female ultra-endurance inliners in the longest inline race in Europe. Methods: We investigated the association between anthropometric and training characteristics and race time for 16 female ultraendurance inline skaters, at the longest inline marathon in Europe, the ‘Inline One-eleven’ over 111 km in Switzerland, using bi- and multivariate analysis. Results: The mean (SD) race time was 289.7 (54.6) min. The bivariate analysis showed that body height (r=0.61), length of leg (r=0.61), number of weekly inline skating training sessions (r=-0.51)and duration of each training unit (r=0.61) were significantly correlated with race time. Stepwise multiple regressions revealed that body height, duration of each training unit, and age were the best variables to predict race time. Conclusion: Race time in ultra-endurance inline races such as the ‘Inline One-eleven’ over 111 km might be predicted by the following equation (r2 = 0.65): Race time (min) = -691.62 + 521.71 (body height, m) + 0.58 (duration of each training unit, min) + 1.78 (age, yrs) for female ultra-endurance inline skaters

The Relationship between Anthropometry and Split Performance in Recreational Male Ironman Triathletes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between anthropometric variables and total race time including split times in 184 recreational male Ironman triathletes. Methods: Body mass, body height, body mass index, lengths and circumferences of limbs, thicknesses of skin-folds, sum of skin-fold thicknesses, and percent body fat were related to total race time including split times using correlation analysis and effect size. Results: A large effect size (r>0.37) was found for the association between body mass index and time in the run split and between both the sum of skin-folds and percent body fat with total race time. A medium effect size (r=0.24-0.36) was observed in the association between body mass and both the split time in running and total race time, between body mass index and total race time, between both the circumferences of upper arm and thigh with split time in the run and between both the sum of skin-folds and percent body fat with split times in swimming, cycling and running. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that lower body mass, lower body mass index and lower body fat were associated with both a faster Ironman race and a faster run split; lower circumferences of upper arm and thigh were also related with a faster run split