Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of additional weights on the external work and energy consumption. Six male long distance runners were requested to run with and without additional weights of 5 and 10 kg. Additional weights of 5 and 10 kg which were attached to the runners bodies by using a specially designed jacket were equivalent to 9 and 18 of the subjects bodies mass, respectively. The external work (Wext) during running on the experimental running track with five various speeds from slow (3 m/s) to sprint (8 m/s) was calculated from the ground reaction force and running velocity. The energy consumption was estimated from the oxygen uptake while running on a treadmill at various steady-state speeds ranging from 2.5-3.5 m/s. Both the external work per distance of run (Wext) and energy consumption per distance of run (EC) per total body mass (body mass + excess mass) indicated approximately the constant values of 1.26 J/m/kg and 3.80 J/M/kg, respectively, independent of running velocity. There were no effects of additional weight on Wext and EC per total body mass. The ratio of Wext to EC, Wext/EC, was no effected by the additional weight, and indicated the approximately constant values range from 27 to 44 in each subject. Verf.-Referat