Abstract

The metabolic power and cost of running per unit distance on a track have been estimated and compared with data collected indoor, in a laboratory on a treadmill. Oxygen uptake have been collected using a portable device, while speed was regulated by auditory feedback (metronome) and verified using GPS. Speed fluctuations remained within an acceptable range. Metabolic power increased linearly with speed, with a slope significantly lower on the track than on the treadmill (p = 0.017). However, statistical comparisons at the same speed did not yield significant differences between the two conditions. The average cost of transport was slightly, but not significantly, lower on the track (4.20 J/kg/m) than on the treadmill (4.35 J/kg/m), and it remained nearly independent of speed over a wide range. Nevertheless, in the lower and higher speed ranges on the track, the cost of transport tended to increase. A similar non-linear trend was observed in the cost of transport in relation to step frequency, with the minimum values falling within a range of 160 to 180 steps per minute. These preliminary results are encouraging and warrant further research to explore the differences between running on a treadmill and on a track.