The V̇o 2 Kinetics of Maximal and Supramaximal Running Exercises in Sprinters and Middle-Distance Runners

do Nascimento Salvador, PC, Dal Pupo, J, De Lucas, RD, de Aguiar, RA, Arins, FB, and Guglielmo, LGA. The V̇ o 2 kinetics of maximal and supramaximal running exercises in sprinters and middle-distance runners. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2857–2863, 2016—The aim of this study was to compare the V̇ o 2 kinetics parameters during maximal and supramaximal running exercises in sprinters (SPR) and middle-distance runners (MDR). Twelve SPR (age 20.6 ± 3.4 years; and body mass 74.9 ± 6.2 kg) and 10 MDR (age 17.6 ± 1.4 years; and body mass 70.1 ± 11.8 kg) performed, on different days, a maximal incremental running test for determination of the velocity at maximum oxygen uptake (vV̇ o 2 max) and 2 constant-speed tests for analysis of V̇ o 2 kinetics at 100 and 120% of vV̇ o 2 max. The MDR presented significantly higher values for the critical speed (18.0 ± 1.0 vs. 14.2 ± 1.0 km·h −1 ), vV̇ o 2 max (19.4 ± 0.7 vs. 17.2 ± 0.8 km·h −1 ), and time to exhaustion at 100% (437 ± 53 vs. 366 ± 49 seconds) than the SPR ( p ≤ 0.05). However, the SPR demonstrated greater values for the anaerobic distance capacity (281.3 ± 66.1 vs. 208.0 ± 43.4 m). Although the mean response time and the time to attain the V̇ o 2 max of the V̇ o 2 kinetics was higher in the maximal than supramaximal running speed ( p ≤ 0.05), no difference was found in these parameters as well for V̇ o 2 slow component ( p > 0.05) between the groups. This study showed that different aerobic and anaerobic characteristics in MDR and SPR did not affect the V̇ o 2 kinetics in maximal and supramaximal intensities within the severe-intensity domain. From a practical perspective, parameters of V̇ o 2 response may provide helpful information for training control as the duration of stimulus close to V̇ o 2 max.