Accumulated oxygen deficit and running performance in man

• Main Author: Ramsbottom, Roger
• Published: Loughborough University 1994
• Subjects: 612; Sports medicine
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.262173

Until recently there has been no generally accepted non-invasive method for determining energy expenditure during high intensity exercise. However, Medbø et al. (1988) have suggested that an individual's total energy (ATP) production from anaerobic metabolism may be determined by measuring the Accumulated Oxygen Deficit (AOD; ml O2 equivalents.kg-1 ). In recent studies it has been reported that there are strong correlations between AOD and anaerobic energy supply determined from changes in muscle metabolites during small muscle group (Bangsbo et al., 1990) and whole body cycle ergometer exercise (Medbø and Tabata, 1993; Withers et al., 1991). The purpose of the present thesis was: (i) to extend the limited information on AOD during running exercise for subjects with differing training backgrounds and particularly for women for whom no data are available; (ii) to investigate the relationship between AOD and human performance; and (iii) as determination of AOD is a time-consuming and costly laboratory procedure to develop a simple field test which accurately reflects AOD and thus anaerobic energy supply.