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article 2022 13 pages

Decoupling of Internal and External Workload During a Marathon: An Analysis of Durability in 82,303 Recreational Runners

Barry Smyth, Ed Maunder, Samuel Meyler, Ben Hunter, Daniel Muniz-Pumares

Journal
Sports Medicine
DOI
10.1007/s40279-022-01680-5
Publication type
Original Research
Population
recreational runners
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Abstract

Aim

This study characterised the decoupling of internal-to-external workload in marathon running and investigated whether decoupling magnitude and onset could improve predictions of marathon performance.

Methods

The decoupling of internal-to-external workload was calculated in 82,303 marathon runners (13,125 female). Internal workload was determined as a percentage of maximum heart rate, and external workload as speed relative to estimated critical speed (CS). Decoupling magnitude (i.e., decoupling in the 35–40 km segment relative to the 5–10 km segment) was classified as low (

Description

The study analyzes workload decoupling in marathon runners and its impact on performance.