Critical speed and finite distance capacity: norms for athletic and non-athletic groups

Athletic (n = 43) and non-athletic (n = 25) individuals participated in the study. All participants completed a treadmill graded exercise test (GXT) with verification bout and a 3MT on an outdoor sprinting track.

Meaningful differences between non-athletic and athletic individuals (denoted by mean difference scores, p value and Cohen’s d with 95% confidence intervals) were evident for CS (− 0.74 m s⁻¹, p < 0.001, d = − 1.41 [1.97, − 0.87]), exponential growth time constant (\(\tau_{{\text{g}}}\); 2.75 s, p < 0.001, d = − 1.29 [− 1.45, − 0.42]), time to maximal speed (\(t_{\max }\); − 2.80 s, p < 0.001, d = − 0.98 [− 1.51, − 0.47]), maximal speed (\(S_{\max }\); − 1.36 m s⁻¹, p < 0.001, d = − 1.56 [− 2.13, − 1.01]), gas exchange threshold (GET; − 5.62 ml kg⁻¹ min⁻¹, p < 0.001, d = − 0.97 [− 1.50, − 0.45]), distance covered in the first minute (1st min; − 81.69 m, p < 0.001, d = − 1.91 [− 2.52, − 1.33]), distance covered in the second minute (2nd min; − 52.02 m, p < 0.001, d = − 1.71 [− 2.30, − 1.15]) and maximal distance (− 153.78 m, p < 0.001, d = − 1.27 [− 1.82, − 0.74]). The correlation coefficient between key physiological and performance variables are shown in the form of a deterministic model created from the data derived from the 3MT.

Coaches and clinicians may benefit from the use of normative data to potentially identify exceptional or irregular occurrences in 3MT performances.