Balasekaran, G., Keong, L. M., Robertson, R. J., Veeramuthu, V., Woon, Y. T., & Govindaswamy, V. V. (June 2, 2010). Energy system contribution during 1,500 m running in untrained and endurance trained male college students. Presentation 1508 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; June 2-5.

This study compared the aerobic and anaerobic energy system contributions during 1,500 m running between collegiate untrained (N = 5) and endurance trained (N = 5) males. Ss attended three sessions; 1) the determination of body composition, submaximal and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), 2) a 1,500 m track running session, and 3) a 1,500 m treadmill running session. The relative aerobic and anaerobic energy system contribution was calculated using the maximally accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) method.

Times for the 1,500 m track run for the untrained and trained groups were ~428.0 seconds and ~331.6 respectively. There were no significant differences in VO2 between the 1,500 m track and treadmill running sessions indicating that Ss ran to their personal best times for both trials. The mean VO2max values were significantly different between the two groups. The mean relative contributions of the aerobic and anaerobic energy system during 1,500 m running were significantly different with the untrained group using more anaerobic energy and less aerobic energy (expressed as percentages) than the trained Ss for the tasks. The point of equal contribution of the aerobic and the anaerobic systems occurred after 30 to 40 seconds of intensive exhaustive running after which the aerobic contribution continues to increase while the anaerobic contribution decreases with increasing duration. By the end of 60th second of exhaustive running, the trained group aerobic contribution was already 71.5% compared to 58.6% for the untrained group.

Implication. Endurance trained Ss demonstrated a greater reliance on the aerobic energy system in a 1,500 m running task. Trained Ss also showed an earlier crossover to predominantly aerobic energy contribution resulting in better 1,500 m running performance.

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