6533b862fe1ef96bd12c62b8

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Relationship between age and elite marathon race time in world single age records from 5 to 93 years

subject

description

International audience; Background:The aims of the study were (i) to investigate the relationship between elite marathon race times andage in 1-year intervals by using the world single age records in marathon running from 5 to 93 years and (ii)toevaluate the sex difference in elite marathon running performance with advancing age.Methods:World single age records in marathon running in 1-year intervals for women and men were analysedregarding changes across age for both men and women using linear and non-linear regression analyses for eachage for women and men.Results:The relationship between elite marathon race time and age was non-linear (i.e.polynomial regression 4thdegree) for women and men. The curve was U-shaped where performance improved from 5 to ~20 years. From5 years to ~15 years, boys and girls performed very similar. Between ~20 and ~35 years, performance was quitelinear, but started to decrease at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both womenand men. The sex difference increased non-linearly (i.e.polynomial regression 7thdegree) from 5 to ~20 years,remained unchanged at ~20 min from ~20 to ~50 years and increased thereafter. The sex difference was lowest(7.5%, 10.5 min) at the age of 49 years.Conclusion:Elite marathon race times improved from 5 to ~20 years, remained linear between ~20 and ~35 years,and started to increase at the age of ~35 years in a curvilinear manner with increasing age in both women andmen. The sex difference in elite marathon race time increased non-linearly and was lowest at the age of ~49 years.