ArticlePloS one2014
BMI, a performance parameter for speed improvement.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Biological and Race Strategy Characteristics Investigated in Elite Endurance Track Running: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Food insecurity as a driver of obesity in humans: The insurance hypothesis.The Behavioral and brain sciences · 2017Pooled it
- Chronic and Postprandial Metabolic Responses to a Ketogenic Diet Compared to High-Carbohydrate and Habitual Diets in Trained Competitive Cyclists and Triathletes: A Randomized Crossover Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Trial
- Effects of Low Versus Moderate Glycemic Index Diets on Aerobic Capacity in Endurance Runners: Three-Week Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial.Nutrients · 2018Trial
- A deep hybrid learning framework with attention-enhanced feature extraction for BMI prediction based on physical fitness.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- A simulation framework to determine optimal strength training and musculoskeletal geometry for sprinting and distance running.PLoS computational biology · 2024Article
- Valid and accurate simple equation to predict 3,000-m steeplechase performance.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Article
- Anthropometric profiles and body composition of male runners at different distances.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Food insecurity as a cause of adiposity: evolutionary and mechanistic hypotheses.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2023Review
- Article
- Differences in training characteristics of recreational endurance runners by race distance - results from the NURMI Study (Step 2).Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Beyond the border of the athlete-centered approach: a model to understand runners' performance.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Physical Fitness Perception and Physical Education Enjoyment in 11- to 12-Year-Old Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Article
- The impact of dieting culture is different between sexes in endurance athletes: a cross-sectional analysis.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2022Article
- Health status of recreational runners over 10-km up to ultra-marathon distance based on data of the NURMI Study Step 2.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Running in the wild: Energetics explain ecological running speeds.Current biology : CB · 2022Article
- Supplement intake in half-marathon, (ultra-)marathon and 10-km runners - results from the NURMI study (Step 2).Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2021Article
- Personalized, Evidence-Informed Training Plans and Exercise Prescriptions for Performance, Fitness and Health.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2021Article
- The Impact of a Nutritional Intervention Program on Eating Behaviors in Italian Athletes.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between anthropometric characteristics and performance in all track and field running events and assess Body Mass Index (BMI) as a relevant performance indicator. Data of mass, height, BMI and speed were collected for the top 100 international men athletes in track events from 100 m to marathon for the 1996-2011 seasons, and analyzed by decile of performance. Speed is significantly associated with mass (r = 0.71) and BMI (r = 0.71) in world-class runners and moderately with height (r = 0.39). Athletes, on average were continuously lighter and smaller with distance increments. In track and field, speed continuously increases with BMI. In each event, performances are organized through physique gradients. « Lighter and smaller is better » in endurance events but « heavier and taller is better » for sprints. When performance increases, BMI variability progressively tightens, but it is always centered around a distance-specific optimum. Running speed is organized through biometric gradients, which both drives and are driven by performance optimization. The highest performance level is associated with narrower biometric intervals. Through BMI indicators, diversity is possible for sprints whereas for long distance events, there is a more restrictive aspect in terms of physique. BMI is a relevant indicator, which allows for a clear differentiation of athletes' capacities between each discipline and level of performance in the fields of human possibilities.
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Registered trials
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.