Seniorenläufer werden schneller und gewinnen Ultramarathons

Quintessenz • Seniorensportler (Läufer über 35 Jahre) dominieren Ultramarathons, also Läufe, die länger sind als die klassische Marathondistanz von 42,195 km. • Aus physiologischer Sicht wird mit ca. 35 Jahren der Leistungszenit im Langstrecken-Laufsport überschritten. • Das Alter der Spitzenleistung im Ultralaufen steigt mit zunehmender Distanz und/oder der Dauer eines Ultramarathons. • Lebenslanger Ausdauersport vermindert die altersbedingte Abnahme der maximalen Sauerstoffaufnahme um ca. 50%. • Eine Abnahme der Muskelmasse ist kein unabwendbares Schicksal, denn regelmässiges Training lässt den altersbedingten jährlichen Abbau auf bis zu 0,5% schrumpfen

Predictor variables for half marathon race time in recreational female runners

Anthropometric and training variables were related to half-marathon race time in recreational female runners. Skin-fold thicknesses at various upper body locations were related to training intensity. High running speed in training appears to be important for fast half-marathon race times and may reduce upper body skin-fold thicknesses in recreational female half marathoners

Analysis of performances at the ‘Ironman Hawaii triathlon’ and its qualifier events with respect to nationality

The Ironman World Championship in Hawaii is assumed to be the most challenging Ironman triathlon in the world. Athletes intending to compete in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ need to qualify. The aims of this study were (i) to compare the participation of athletes between ‘Ironman Hawaii’ and its qualifier races regarding their origin, and (ii) to compare the top ten performances of selected nations in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ with the top ten performances of the same nations in qualifier races within one year. All finishers in 2010 in both ‘Ironman Hawaii’ and in the qualifier races were analyzed regarding nationality, sex and performance of finishers. For women, a higher percentage (27.2%) finished in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ compared to the qualifiers (18.9%). For men, a higher percentage (81.1%) finished in the qualifiers compared to ‘Ironman Hawaii’ (72.8%). In both ‘Ironman Hawaii’ and in the qualifiers, most finishers originated from the USA, followed by athletes from Germany and Canada. When the split and overall race times of the top ten finishers of the fastest nations were compared between the qualifiers and ‘Ironman Hawaii’, split and overall races times were faster in both women and men in the qualifiers compared to ‘Ironman Hawaii’. In the qualifiers, the fastest women originated from the USA (551±14 min), followed by athletes from Germany (563±12 min) and Switzerland (574±22 min). In ‘Ironman Hawaii’ the fastest race times were achieved by American women (571±10 min), followed by women originating from Australia (600±32 min) and Germany (623±25 min). For men, the fastest race times in the qualifiers were reached by athletes originating from Germany (496±7 min), followed by athletes from Australia (503±10 min) and Great Britain (512±9 min). In ‘Ironman Hawaii’, American triathletes (522±11 min) were the fastest followed by German (526±19 min) and Australian (532±26 min) finishers. These findings showed that (i) split and overall race times were slower in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ compared to its qualifiers and (ii) American triathletes dominated both participation and performance in both ‘Ironman Hawaii’ and its qualifiers

Women achieve peak swim performance in individual medley at earlier ages than men

Introduction: Previous studies suggested that the age of peak swim performance in freestyle swimming was ~17 years for women and ~19 years for men. However, no study investigated the age of peak swim performance in other disciplines such as individual medley. Objective: To examine the change in the age of peak individual medley performance for both elite female and male Swiss swimmers from 1994 to 2011. Methods: The change in age of peak individual medley performance was investigated for elite female and male swimmers from 1994 to 2011. For comparison, an analysis of freestyle swimming was also performed. Swim speed in 200m and 400m medley, sex and age of the top ten swimmers at national level (Switzerland) were analysed using linear regression and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The age of peak swim speed was (P 0.05). Swim performances improved for both swim styles and distances across years (P ≤ 0.03). Conclusion: The age of peak swim performance in medley and freestyle remained stable and was lower for women than for men in elite Swiss swimmers during the 1994 to 2011 period. Future studies need to investigate the age of peak swim speed in swimmers at international level in other competitive swim strokes. Key words: swim performance, gender difference, individual medley, freestyl

Hilfe, ich habe krumme Finger – oder die Lösung einer Reihe medizinischer Phänomene

Wir beschreiben den Fall eines 23-jährigen Mannes, der selbst Humanmedizin studiert und während seiner Ausbildung durch das im Studium erlangte Wissen im Stande war, bei sich selbst die Verdachtsdiagnose eines Ehlers-Danlos-Syndroms zu stellen. Die Krankheit war im Vorfeld von mehreren Ärzten, die aufgrund der symptomalen Manifestationen konsultiert wurden, übersehen worden

Women reduced the sex difference in open-water ultra-distance swimming. ‘La Traversée Internationale du Lac St-Jean’ 1955-2012

In La Traversée Internationale du Lac St-Jean, held between 1955 and 2012 in Canada, the fastest women (r(2) = 0.61, p < 0.0001) and men (r(2) = 0.66, p < 0.0001) improved swimming speed over the years but the sex difference remained unchanged at 8.8% ± 5.6% (r(2) = 0.069, p = 0.065). Annually, for the 3 fastest swimmers, both women (r(2) = 0.53, p < 0.0001) and men (r(2) = 0.71, p < 0.0001) improved swimming speed between 1973 and 2012 and the sex difference decreased (r(2) = 0.29, p = 0.0016) from 14.4% ± 11.0% (1973) to 3.7% ± 1.4% (2012)

Sex difference in race performance and age of peak performance in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship from 1983 to 2012

Background The fastest Ironman race times in ‘Ironman Hawaii’ were achieved in very recent years. This study investigated the change in sex difference in both race performance and the age of peak performance across years in the top ten athletes for split disciplines and overall race time in the ‘Ironman Hawaii’ between 1983 and 2012. Methods Changes in split times, overall race times, and age of athletes across years for the top ten overall and the fastest swimmers, cyclists, and runners were investigated using regression analyses and analyses of variance. Results Between 1983 and 2012, the overall top ten men and women finishers improved their swimming (only men), cycling, running, and overall race times. The sex difference in overall race time decreased significantly (p = 0.01) from 15.2% to 11.3% across time. For the split disciplines, the sex difference remained unchanged (p > 0.05) for swimming (12.5 ± 3.7%) and cycling (12.5 ± 2.7%) but decreased for running from 13.5 ± 8.1% to 7.3 ± 2.9% (p = 0.03). The time performance of the top ten swimmers remained stable (p > 0.05), while those of the top ten cyclists and top ten runners improved (p  0.05) in swimming (8.0 ± 2.4%), cycling (12.7 ± 1.8%), and running (15.2 ± 3.0%). Between 1983 and 2012, the age of the overall top ten finishers and the fastest swimmers, cyclists, and runners increased across years for both women and men (p < 0.01). Conclusions To summarize, for the overall top ten finishers, the sex difference decreased across years for overall race time and running, but not for swimming and cycling. For the top ten per discipline, the sex difference in performance remained unchanged. The athletes improved their performances across years although the age of peak performance increased

Comparison of anthropometric and training characteristics between recreational male marathoners and 24-hour ultramarathoners

BACKGROUND: Of the anthropometry and training variables used to predict race performance in a 24-hour ultrarun, the personal best marathon time is the strongest predictor in recreational male 24-hour ultramarathoners. This finding raises the question of whether similarities exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners. METHODS: The association between age, anthropometric variables (ie, body mass, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, limb circumference, and skinfold thickness at the pectoral, mid axillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac, front thigh, and medial calf sites), previous experience and training characteristics (ie, volume, speed, and personal best time), and race time for 79 male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and 126 male recreational marathoners was investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The 24-hour ultramarathoners were older (P < 0.05), had a lower circumference at both the upper arm (P < 0.05) and thigh (P < 0.01), and a lower skinfold thickness at the pectoral, axillary, and suprailiac sites (P < 0.05) compared with the marathoners. During training, the 24-hour ultramarathoners were running for more hours per week (P < 0.001) and completed more kilometers (P < 0.001), but were running slower (P < 0.01) compared with the marathoners. In the 24-hour ultramarathoners, neither anthropometric nor training variables were associated with kilometers completed in the race (P > 0.05). In the marathoners, percent body fat (P < 0.001) and running speed during training (P < 0.0001) were related to marathon race times. CONCLUSION: In summary, differences in anthropometric and training predictor variables do exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners for race performance

European dominance in multistage ultramarathons: an analysis of finisher rate and performance trends from 1992 to 2010

Background: Participation and performance trends regarding the nationality of ultraendurance athletes have been investigated in the triathlon, but not in running. The present study aimed to identify the countries in which multistage ultramarathons were held around the world and the nationalities of successful finishers. Methods: Finisher rates and performance trends of finishers in multistage ultramarathons held worldwide between 1992 and 2010 were investigated. Results: Between 1992 and 2010, the bulk of multistage ultramarathons were held in Germany and France, with more than 30 races organized in each country. Completion rates for men and women increased exponentially, with women representing on average 16.4% of the total field. Since 1992, 6480 athletes have competed in Morocco, 2538 in Germany, and 1842 in France. A total of 81.9% of athletes originated from Europe, and more specifically from France (22.9%), Great Britain (18.0%), and Germany (13.4%). Conclusion: European ultramarathoners dominated the athletes who completed multistage ultramarathons worldwide, with specific dominance of French, British, and German athletes. Future studies should investigate social aspects, such as sport tourism, among European athletes to understand why European athletes are so interested in participating in multistage ultramarathons