## 3 Results  
The results of the study are presented in Tables 2 and 3, as well as in Figures 1-3, which detail the changes in energy cost and total external work across different walking speeds before and after the year of training. In the incremental exercise test, participants achieved an average maximum oxygen uptake (VO\({}_{2}\)max) of 67.4 \(\pm\) 7.25 mL-kg-1.min-1, a value typical for elite endurance athletes capable of competing at the international level. The corresponding maximal lung ventilation and heart rate were 139.7 \(\pm\) 18.8 L-min-1 and 186 \(\pm\) 10.7 beats per minute, respectively. These physiological parameters reflect the high aerobic capacity of the participants, which is crucial for sustained performance in race walking. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline
**VO\({}_{2}\)max** & **VO\({}_{2}\)max** & **VEmax** & **HRmax** \\
**mL-kg-1.min-1** & **L-min-1** & **L-min-1** & **sk\(\cdot\)min-1** \\ \hline
67.4 \(\pm\) 7.25 & 4.7 \(\pm\) 0.81 & 139.7 \(\pm\) 18.8 & 186 \(\pm\) 10.7 \\ \hline \end{tabular} VO\({}_{2}\)max—maximum oxygen uptake. VEmax—maximal lung ventilation. HRmax—maximal heart rate.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Average values of physiological parameters during maximal exercise. Figure 1: The average values of the potential energy changes (\(\Delta\)Ep) in the second study at technical (vt), threshold (vp), and racing (vs) speeds, \({}^{*}p<0.05\). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**V**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Study**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Energy Cost of EE Effort**} \\ \cline{3-5}  & & **kj\_min\({}^{-1}\)** & **j\_min\({}^{-1}\)** & **j\_m\({}^{-1}\)** & **j\_m\({}^{-1}\)**\_kg\({}^{-1}\)** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{\(\mathrm{v_{t}}=3.1\pm 0.19\)} & I & \(51.2\pm 10.05\) & \(267\pm 52.3\) & \(3.86\pm 0.55\) \\ \cline{2-5}  & II & \(48.38\pm 6.04\) & \(252\pm 31.5\) & \(3.68\pm 0.42\) \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{\(\mathrm{v_{p}}=3.7\pm 0.13\)} & I & \(69.2\pm 11.04\) & \(312\pm 49.7\) & \(4.51\pm 0.51\) \\ \cline{2-5}  & II & \(65.72\pm 7.90\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vp}}\)*** & \(296\pm 35.6\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vp}}\)*** & \(4.30\pm 0.21\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vp}}\)*** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{\(\mathrm{v_{s}}=4.0\pm 0.14\)} & I & \(78.3\pm 13.01\) & \(326\pm 54.2\) & \(4.74\pm 0.62\) \\ \cline{2-5}  & II & \(74.42\pm 6.34\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vs}}\)*** & \(310\pm 26.4\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vs}}\)*** & \(4.37\pm 0.27\,^{\mathrm{vt}-\mathrm{vs}}\)*** \\ \hline \({}^{447}p<0.005\). \({}^{448}p<0.001\). & & & & \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: The average energy cost of walking at technical (\(\mathrm{v_{t}}\)), threshold (\(\mathrm{v_{p}}\)), and racing (\(\mathrm{v_{s}}\)) speeds. Figure 2: The average values of the kinetic energy changes \(\Delta\)Ek, at technical (vt), threshold (vp), and racing (vs) speeds, \({}^{*}p<0.05\), \({}^{***}p<0.005\), \({}^{***}p<0.001\). Table 2 presents the average physiological parameters during maximal exercise, illustrating the VO2 max, maximal lung ventilation (VEmax), and maximal heart rate (HRmax) achieved by the participants during the incremental exercise test. Table 3 presents the average energy cost at the three studied walking speeds: technical speed (vt), threshold speed (vp), and racing speed (vs). It can be observed that the energy cost decreased at all speeds after the year of targeted training. Specifically, at technical speed the energy cost decreased by 5.9%, and at racing speed there was a notable 8% reduction, which approached statistical significance (\(p\) = 0.058). These reductions suggest improved efficiency in the participants' movement following the training period. Table 3 provides detailed data on the energy cost of walking at technical, threshold, and racing speeds, highlighting the reductions observed after the year of training. Table 4 and Figures 1-3 provide a detailed breakdown of the biomechanical costs associated with walking at different speeds.