MULTIDIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE AS A DETERMINANT OF PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION IN MIDDLE-DISTANCE RUNNING (800 M – 1500 M) AMONG 18-YEAR-OLD MALE ATHLETES.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28945/ijikm.v21i1.200Abstract
Background: Performance in middle-distance running is the product of a complex interaction of morphological, physiological and neuromuscular factors. Previous studies pointed out the importance of variables such as maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and body composition, but the joint contribution of these variables to the performance of young runners is not yet sufficiently understood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyse the multidimensional determinants of performance in male 800-m and 1500-m runners aged 18.
Method: The study included 62 middle-distance runners. Morphological variables were muscular, skeletal and energetic indexes. Physiological variables were VO2max and MAS. Neuromuscular characteristics associated with strength and strength endurance were also measured. The structural relationships among variables were identified by principal component analysis (PCA), and the data redundancy was reduced by PCA. The data were suitable for factor analysis as indicated by the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) value of 0.712 and a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity (p < 0.05).
Results and Discussion: The two dominant components accounted for 85.19% of the total variance. The first factor (F1) accounted for 73.48% of the variance and was highly correlated with MAS (r = 0.97), 800 m performance (r = 0.98) and 1500 m performance (r = 0.98). It was also highly correlated with the energy index (r = 0.98), skeletal component (r = 0.94), muscular component (r = 0.82) and strength endurance (r = 0.86). The second factor (F2) explained 11.71% of the variance and was characterised mainly by VO₂ max (r = 0.97). The results indicate a high synergy between morphological, physiological and neuromuscular characteristics in determining middle-distance running performance. The results of this study emphasise the necessity of a complete assessment and training strategy for athletes, where MAS is a major performance determinant and VO₂ max and body composition are complementary factors for competitive outcomes.
