Evidence map›Paper›PMID 12910345›Full record

ReviewEuropean journal of applied physiology2003

Factors limiting maximal performance in humans.

Pietro Enrico di Prampero

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in European journal of applied physiology, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 111 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
111citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

111 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. A comparative meta-analysis of maximal aerobic metabolism of vertebrates: implications for respiratory and cardiovascular limits to gas exchange.Journal of comparative physiology. B, Biochemical, systemic, and environmental physiology · 2013
    Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Carbon monoxide, skeletal muscle oxidative stress, and mitochondrial biogenesis in humans.American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology · 2009
    Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Quantifying metabolic energy contributions in sprint running.European journal of applied physiology · 2025
    Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Observational
  20. Article

51 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Pietro Enrico di PramperoDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Technology MATI (Microgravity Ageing Training Immobility) Centre, University of Udine, P le M Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy. pprampero@makek.dstb.uniud.it

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Theoretical best performance times (ttheor) in track running are calculated as follows. Maximal metabolic power (Emax) is a known function of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), of maximal anaerobic capacity (AnS) and of effort duration to exhaustion (te):Emax=f (te). Metabolic power requirement (Er) to cover the distance (d) in the performance time tp is the product of the energy cost of locomotion per unit distance (C) and the speed: Er=Cxd/tp. The time values for which Emax (te)=Er (tp), assumed to yield ttheor, can be obtained for any given subject and distance provided that VO2max, AnS and C are known, and compared with actual best performances (tact). For 15 min> or =te> or =100 s, the overall ratio tact/ttheor was rather close to 1.0. To estimate the relative role of the different factors limiting VO2max, several resistances to O2 transport are identified, inversely proportional to: alveolar ventilation (RV*), O2 transport by the circulation (RQ), O2 diffusion from capillary blood to mitochondria (Rt), mitochondrial capacity (Rm). Observed changes of VO2max are accompanied by measured changes of several resistances. The ratio of each resistance to the overall resistance can therefore be calculated by means of the O2 conductance equation. In exercise with large muscle groups (two legs), RQ is the major (75%) limiting factor downstream of the lung, its role being reduced to 50% during exercise with small muscle groups (one leg). Rt and Rm account for the remaining fractions. In normoxia RV* is negligible; at high altitude it increases progressively, together with Rt and Rm, at the expense of RQ.

Indexed as

AlgorithmsAltitudeAnaerobic ThresholdBicyclingEnergy MetabolismHumansHypoxiaOxygenOxygen ConsumptionPhysical EndurancePhysical ExertionPulmonary Gas ExchangeRunningTime FactorsOxygen

Identifiers

PMID12910345

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.