Predictive factors for running economy in female recreational runners

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Purpose To assess the predictive value of age, sport experience, lower-limb flexibility, lean mass, Fat percentage (%FAT), Maximal Oxygen consumption (V̇O 2 max), knee extensor muscle Peak Torque (PT), and Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) on Running Economy (RE) in female long-distance recreational runners. Methods A total of 61 female recreational runners aged 20–60 yr participated in this study. RE was evaluated based on the Energy Cost of running (EC). Additional parameters measured included V̇O 2 max, flexibility, lean mass, %FAT, MAS, sport experience, age, and PT. Results EC was significantly associated with %FAT ( r = 0.629, p < 0.001), flexibility ( r = -0.388, p = 0.002), lean mass ( r = -0.330, p = 0.009), and MAS ( r = -0.516, p < 0.001). No significant correlations were observed between RE and age ( r = 0.017, p = 0.896), sport experience ( r = -0.119, p = 0.360), V̇O 2 max ( r = -0.200, p = 0.121), or PT ( r = -0.026, p = 0.841). Regression analysis revealed that %FAT (β = 0.017, t = 4.168, p < 0.001) and MAS (β = -0.039, t = -1.987, p = 0.052) accounted for 43.5% of the variation in EC. Conclusion These findings indicate that %FAT and MAS were the key predictors of RE in female recreational runners, with higher %FAT associated with poorer RE and greater MAS correlating with improved RE. However, MAS showed a borderline association with EC (p = 0.052), suggesting a potential but cautious interpretation as a predictor. These insights underscore the importance of training strategies that optimize body composition and aerobic performance to enhance RE in female recreational runners.