AUTHOR=Slawinski Jean , Chiron François , Millot Benjamin , Taouji Adrien , Brocherie Franck 

TITLE=Effect of a 16-Day Altitude Training Camp on 3,000-m Steeplechase Running Energetics and Biomechanics: A Case Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=1

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2019.00063

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2019.00063

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 16-day training camp at moderate altitude on running energetics and biomechanics in an elite female 3,000-m steeplechase athlete (personal best: 9 min 36.15 s). The 16-day intervention included living and training at 1,600 m altitude. A maximal incremental test was performed at sea level to determine the maximal oxygen uptake (<inline-formula><mml:math id="M1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>∙</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo class="qopname">max</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula>). Before (pre-) and after (post-) intervention, the participant performed a specific training session consisting of 10 × 400 m with 5 hurdles with oxygen uptake (<inline-formula><mml:math id="M2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>∙</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula>), blood lactate, stride length and stride rate being measured. A video analysis determined take-off distance and landing around the hurdle (DT<sub>H</sub> and DL<sub>H</sub>), take-off velocity and landing around the hurdle (VT<sub>H</sub> and VL<sub>H</sub>), and the maximal height over the hurdle (M<sub>H</sub>). The results demonstrated that the mean <inline-formula><mml:math id="M3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>∙</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:math></inline-formula> maintained during the ten 400 m trials represented 84–86% of <inline-formula><mml:math id="M4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>V</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>∙</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo class="qopname">max</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula> and did not change from pre- to post-intervention (<italic>p</italic> = 0.22). Mean blood lactate measured on the 6 last 400-m efforts increased significantly (12.0 ± 2.2 vs. 17.0 ± 1.6 mmol.l<sup>−1</sup>; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). On the other hand, post-intervention maximal lactate decreased from 20.1 to 16.0 mmol.l<sup>−1</sup>. Biomechanical analysis revealed that running velocity increased from 5.12 ± 0.16 to 5.49 ± 0.19 m.s<sup>−1</sup> (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), concomitantly with stride length (1.63 ± 0.05 vs. 1.73 ± 0.06 m; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). However, stride rate did not change (3.15 ± 0.03 vs. 3.16 ± 0.02 Hz; <italic>p</italic> = 0.14). While DT<sub>H</sub> was not significantly different from pre- to post- (1.34 ± 0.08 vs. 1.40 ± 0.07 m; <italic>p</italic> = 0.09), DL<sub>H</sub> was significantly longer (1.17 ± 0.07 vs. 1.36 ± 0.05 m; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01). VT<sub>H</sub> and VL<sub>H</sub> significantly improved after intervention (5.00 ± 0.14 vs. 5.33 ± 0.16 m.s<sup>−</sup>1 and 5.18 ± 0.13 vs. 5.51 ± 0.22 m.s<sup>−1</sup>, respectively; both <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01). Finally, M<sub>H</sub> increased from pre- to post- (52.5 ± 3.8 vs. 54.9 ± 2.1 cm; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). A 16-day moderate altitude training camp allowed an elite female 3,000-m steeplechase athlete to improve running velocity through a greater glycolytic—but not aerobic—metabolism.</p>