Elite Distance Runners: A 45-Year Follow-up

ABSTRACTPurposeThe present longitudinal study assessed cardiorespiratory capacity and running economy of Olympic athletes over several decades to measure changes in fitness in an elite group during aging.MethodsTwenty-six male runners training for the 1968 Olympics were recruited. HR, V˙O2max, ventilation, and running economy were measured in 1968, 1993, and 2013. In 2013, 22 of the original runners participated: three passed away between 1993 and 2013 and one declined to participate.ResultsThe mean ± SD HRmax values (bpm) were 178 ± 10.6 in 1968, 176 ± 13.1 in 1993, and 168 ± 16.4 in 2013 with a difference from the predicted HRmax values in 1968 and 2013 (both P

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