Characteristics of a Kenyan runner

Frank Evertsen is a former Olympic team physiologist, specializing in Kenyan training and training intensity. He has worked with Kenyan athletes since 1990 and been involved with names such as Sammy Kipketer, John Kibowen, Abraham Cherono, Vivian Cheriouyt and Emmanuel Kemboi. All of these word class runners that have been/are in the Evertsen training group together with a around 20 other athletes on the way up. Since 1990 he has been in Kenya doing research 4-5 time periods every year, as well as bringing the Kenyans to Norway in the summer for lab research. Here he tells us about the Kenyan training system. Is currently finishing up his doctorate on “Enzyme activity during Anerobic Threshold Training” and has published a number of articles in international publications.

Kenyan Training System – from a physiological standpoint

During the last decades the East African runners, especially the Kenyans, have dominated the world of running. One question that arises is what makes these Kenyans so successful. Several factors may play a role, but the most important may be the genetic endowment in combination with intense training at moderate altitude (2000-2600 m.a.s.l.). However, this section gives only a short schematic description of their middle- and long distance training. These data are obtained from the daily training and from laboratory facilities.

• Measurements of the VO₂ uptake during different type of training and lab tests
• Measurements of the HR during different type of training and lab tests
• Measurement of blood lactate during different type of training and lab tests
• Analysis of biopsy samples during different type of training and lab tests
• Analysis of other blood parameters related both to sea and altitude training

Shortly, the results form our study suggests that most of the basic training carried out by the Kenyans consists of exercise close to lactate threshold (90% of VO_2max). Our biopsy data support that exercise related to lactate threshold both at moderate altitude (2000-2600m.a.s.l.), and at sea level is very effective to improve the performance in already well trained elite runners and cross-country skiers, compared to controls carrying out training far under and above the lactate threshold (Evertsen et al, 1997, 2000a, 2000b, and unpublished data obtained between 1991-2000). No changes were found in the VO_2max, but the performance at lactate threshold and the performance were increased significantly. These changes in physiological feature and in performance were significantly higher compared to controls. Less positive correlations were found between the biopsy data and the performance.

In summary, the physiological characteristics in Kenyan runners, running 5000m from 13:24 to 12.56 are:

• VO_2max >80 ml kg^-1 min^-1
• High capillary density
• Many and large mitochondria
• Highly developed running economy
• High running velocity at lactate 2, 4, 7 mmol L^-1
• High aerobic enzyme activity, but less anaerobic enzyme activity
• High red blood cell mass (35 ml/kg)
• Normal Hemoglobin and Hematocrit (14-18 g/dl)
• High ability to utilise fat even during intense exercise (% VO_2max)
• High blood and muscle buffer capacity
• Normal EPO values
• High Hemoglobin-oxygen affinity
• Larger slow twitch muscle fibre pool than FT muscle fibre pool

(Evertsen, unpublished data, 1990-2000)

Frank Evertsen, Copyright