Peak Fat Oxidation is not Independently Related to Ironman Performance in Women

Stine Dahl Vest; Jacob Frandsen; Steen Larsen; Flemming Dela; Jørn Wulff Helge

doi:10.1055/a-0660-0031

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2018; 39(12): 916-923
DOI: 10.1055/a-0660-0031

Training & Testing

Peak Fat Oxidation is not Independently Related to Ironman Performance in Women

Authors

Stine Dahl Vest

¹X-lab, Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jacob Frandsen^*

¹X-lab, Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Steen Larsen

¹X-lab, Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

³Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Flemming Dela

¹X-lab, Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

²Department of Geriatrics, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jørn Wulff Helge

¹X-lab, Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate if peak fat oxidation rate (PFO) is related to Ironman performance in female athletes. Thirty-six female Ironman athletes (age: 34±1 yrs, [21–45 yrs.] SEM [Range]) with a BMI of 22.1±2.0 kg/m² [18.8–28.4 kg/m²], a body fat percentage of 24.8±1.0% [9.0–37.0%] and a V̇O₂peak of 53.0±1.3 ml/min/kg [36.5–70.5 ml/min/kg] were tested in the laboratory prior to the Ironman Copenhagen 2017. Race time ranged from 9:17:07 to 15:23:48 with mean race time being 11:57:26 h:min:s (717 min). By simple linear regression analyses we found associations between race time and P FO (r²=0.22, p<0.005), V̇O₂peak (r²=0.65, p<0.0001) and the relative exercise intensity eliciting PFO (Fatmax) (r²=0.35, p=0.0001). Furthermore, associations were found between race time and body fat percentage (r²=0.44, p<0.0001) and age (r²=0.16, p<0.05). By means of multiple regression analysis, V̇O₂peak was the only statistically significant variable explaining 64% of the variation in race time (adj. r²=0.64, p<0.005). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that PFO is not independently related to Ironman performance in a heterogeneous group of female athletes. Interestingly, V̇O₂peak alone was able to predict 64% of the variation in Ironman race times.

Key words

fat oxidation - performance - women - ironman - VO2peak - peak fat oxidation

Full Text

References

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