# Physiological Profiles of Recreational Runners and Cyclists Aged 20 to 60 Years
## 3 Results  
### Results in Male Runners and Cyclists  
A comparison of body mass, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat and fat-free-mass (FFM) in male recreational cyclists and runners is presented in Table 1. Values of body mass in cyclists were substantially higher (medium to large effect) than in runners, values of body height, however, were comparable in both groups of male recreational athletes. The values of BMI were comparable in younger cyclist and runners (up to 39.9 years), but in both older groups, BMI values in cyclists were substantially higher than in runners (large effect). Percentage of body fat in younger groups of athletes (up to 49.9 years) was similar. In the oldest group (50 to 60 years), however, the percentage of body fat in cyclists was higher than in runners (large effect). The values of FFM in all the age groups were slightly higher in cyclists than in runners. Pulmonary function indices in male recreational cyclists and runners (Table 2) documented similar values of forced vital capacity and peak expiratory flow values in both groups of athletes (small to medium effect). The FEV1 values, however, were substantially higher in runners than in cyclists (large effect) in three older age groups. The values of VO2 max in all age groups were slightly higher in male runners than in cyclists (medium to large effect). Maximum power output on a cycle ergometer (W/kg) and maximum running speed (km/h, at a slope 5% on a treadmill) slightly declined with age. The maximum valuesof blood lactate concentration were not substantially different in cyclists and in runners (small to medium effect). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline
**Age Group** & **FVC** & **FEV\({}_{1}\)** & **PEF** & **VO\({}_{2}\)max** & **Power** & **LAmax** \\
**[Years]** & **[\% Pred.]** & **[\% Pred.]** & **[\% Pred.]** & **[mL/kg/min]** & **Output a ** & **[mmol/L]** \\ \hline
20–29.9 & & & & & \\ C (n = 42) & 94.3 (10.9) & 100.3 (11.0) & 91.4 (18.4) & 53.7 (7.2) & 4.26 (0.58) & 12.1 (2.2) \\ R (n = 50) & 91.7 (17.0) & 100.6 (10.4) & 94.9 (16.5) & 58.1 (4.8) & 15.4 (1.4) & 11.9 (2.5) \\ d-value & 0.182 & 0.028 & 0.2 & 0.719 & - & 0.085 \\ Effect size & small & small & medium & medium & - & small \\
30–39.9 & & & & & & \\ C (n = 40) & 99.2 (12.7) & 84.8 (11.0) & 99.4 (15.6) & 52.7 (6.3) & 4.14 (0.49) & 11.7 (2.3) \\ R (n = 94) & 93.9 (11.1) & 102.6 (12.3) & 96.3 (17.8) & 55.4 (5.7) & 14.9 (1.1) & 11.6 (2.5) \\ d-value & 0.444 & 1.526 & 0.185 & 0.449 & - & 0.042 \\ Effect size & medium & large & small & medium & - & small \\
40–49.9 & & & & & & \\ C (n = 41) & 98.0 (16.4) & 86.6 (9.9) & 107.6 (15.9) & 49.9 (5.8) & 3.95 (0.49) & 11.5 (2.4) \\ R (n = 63) & 97.7 (10.8) & 104.6 (12.0) & 101.1 (17.4) & 52.2 (6.4) & 14.7 (1.2) & 9.8 (2.5) \\ d-value & 0.022 & 1.636 & 0.39 & 0.377 & - & 0.238 \\ Effect size & small & large & medium & medium & - & medium \\
50–60 & & & & & & \\ C (n = 28) & 96.1 (12.8) & 84.7 (9.6) & 103.3 (14.7) & 42.2 (8.8) & 3.32 (0.72) & 10.7 (2.4) \\ R (n = 20) & 97.0 (12.2) & 104.2 (15.2) & 96.2 (16.4) & 48.5 (3.4) & 13.8 (1.1) & 10.4 (2.8) \\ d-value & 0.072 & 1.534 & 0.456 & 0.944 & - & 0.115 \\ Effect size & small & large & medium & large & - & small \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Pulmonary function (FVC forced vital capacity; FEV\({}_{1}\) forced expiratory volume in 1 s; PEF peak expiratory flow) and performance characteristics in male recreational cyclists (C) and runners (R).