Outdoor Uphill Exercise Testing for Trail Runners, a More Suitable Method?

Abstract

There is extensive knowledge about uphill running on a treadmill, although paucity regarding the influence of uphill trail running on exercise capacity in runners. The purpose of this study was to compare an uphill field test with a treadmill test with 1% inclination especially considering cardiopulmonary exercise variables. The difference in those tests between a group of trail runners and a group of road runners was tested for establishing a test specifically for trail runners. Ten male endurance road runners and ten male trail runners performed one maximal incremental treadmill test with 1% inclination and a maximal incremental field test on a hill at 16% inclination which they were instructed to run up four times for three minutes, each time with a higher pace. A mobile cardiopulmonary exercise testing unit was used to measure ventilation. There were no significant differences between trail runners and road runners. The equivalence factor was comparable between both groups. <inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="graphic/j_hukin-2021-0066_eq_001.png"/><mml:math><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:mover><mml:mi>V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙<!-- ˙ --></mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mi>O</mml:mi><mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mi>e</mml:mi><mml:mi>a</mml:mi><mml:mi>k</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:math><tex-math><![CDATA[ $\dot{V} O_{2 p e a k}$]]></tex-math></alternatives></inline-formula> was comparable for both test protocols. However, there was a significant difference between the two test protocols regarding lactate concentration, the respiratory exchange ratio, running cost, heart rate, Breathing reserve, and O<sub>2pulse</sub>. The greater lactate concentration and running cost recorded uphill indicate a higher energy demand during trail running than level road running.

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