Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Perfect Distance Runner

Just something I put together, strictly science speaking, on what physiological traits the perfect distance runner would have...


Oxygen uptake capacity
- Enhanced by a lot of hemoglobin and a high percentage of red blood cells (which can go up by the right kind of exercise, or living/training at altitude).
- Muscles tend to utilize available oxygen by high levels of mitochondrial density, and aerobic enzyme activity.  

Cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness
- VO2 max (How much many millimeters of oxygen are utilized per kilogram of body weight each minute)
- a point at which oxygen consumption plateaus and defines an athletes maximal aerobic capacity

Lactic acid tolerance
- blood-lactate threshold (a point where lactic acid floods muscle cells too fast for the body to metabolize the excess.

Large glycogen storage capability

Lowest body fat percentage
- the lighter you are, the less weight your body has to carry.

Metabolism
- Optimize for making new glucose from non-carbohydrate sources via gluconeogenesis.

Running economy
- The most forward movements with the least amount of energy expanded.
- Perfect form requires as little breaking action as possible: the foot hits the ground already moving backward relative to the ground so that there is as little deceleration as possible and a smooth transition from landing to push-off.

Function of your mindset
- The harder you can push your mind into believing you can, the rest will follow suit. 


Will add into this in further detail as the days go by.
-BJW

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