Effect of supra-lactate threshold training on the relationship between mechanical stride descriptors and aerobic energy cost in trained runners.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of endurance training on the relationship between mechanical stride descriptors (stride rate and stride rate variability) and the aerobic energy cost that would be decreased by training in an all-out supra-lactate threshold run. Six long distance runners (175 +/- 6 cm; 72 +/- 9 kg; 27 +/- 4 years) performed two identical track tests before and after 8 weeks of supra-lactate threshold training: an incremental test and a constant load test at 50% of the velocity difference between the lactate threshold and *VO2max (vdelta50). During the constant load test, aerobic energy cost (EC), stride rate (SR) and stride rate variability (SRV) were measured. The constant load tests were carried out before and after training at the same absolute intensity, in order to compare stride mechanical descriptors. Our results show that after eight weeks of intermittent running at vdelta50, the velocity associated with *VO2max (v *V02max) increases (p = 0.03) due to the decrease of running economy (RE, p = 0.02), and not due to an increase in *VO2max (p = 0.5). EC remained unchanged with training (p > 0.1), but SRV was significantly reduced (p < 0.03). No relationship was observed before and after training between the stride rate variability and the aerobic energetic cost (rs < 0.5; p > 0.05). This study indicates that because of the initial level of the runners, endurance training has not induced an increased *VO2max but a decrease of the SRV. Further studies have to be conducted with more subjects in order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this decrease in SRV which is observed with training.