“Almost all of the non-elite Ironman athletes who I’ve interviewed for my research had what would be considered white-collar jobs and commented on the flexibility this provided,” says Bridel. “The cost of equipment, race entry fees, and travel to events works to exclude lower socioeconomic status individuals,” he says, adding that those in a higher socioeconomic bracket tend to have nine-to-five jobs that provide some freedom to, for example, train before or after work or even at at lunch. As stated, the ability to train and compete demands that one has time, money, access to facilities, and a safe space to practice, says William Bridel, a professor at the University of Calgary who studies the sociocultural aspects of sport. There are a handful of obvious reasons the vast majority of endurance athletes are employed, educated, and financially secure. And though it doesn’t track employment, the same USA Cycling report shows that 66 percent of cyclists have at least an undergraduate degree. A 2013 report published by USA Cycling shows much the same: More than 60 percent of individuals who compete in cycling events claim household incomes above $75,000. Running USA surveys conducted in 20 found that nearly 75 percent of runners earn more than $50,000, and about 85 percent work in white-collar, service, or educational settings. No surprise, then, that data collected in 2015 by USA Triathlon shows that the median income for triathletes is $126,000, with about 80 percent either working in white-collar jobs-professions such medicine, law, and accounting-or currently enrolled as students. ![]() And money because, well, our sports are not cheap: According to the New York Times, the total cost of running a marathon-arguably the least gear-intensive and costly of all endurance sports-can easily be north of $1,600. Time because training, traveling, racing, recovery, and the inevitable hours one spends tinkering with gear accumulate-training just one hour per day, for example, adds up to more than two full weeks over the course of a year. Runner 3 clearly shows more economical running at the same speeds, and therefore can sustain faster running for longer duration.Participating in endurance sports requires two main things: lots of time and money. This graph* below shows the difference in Running economy between three runners at the same level of VO2 uptake. Obviously, among elite runners, these changes can be less pronounced than in average competitors and beginners, but marginal gains can add up at any level of performance. However, it has been shown that a regimen with a combination of endurance, neuromuscular and strength training can improve running economy in a relatively short time span. Running economy is a multi-faceted variable and not exclusive to oxygen uptake alone, rather factors such as body composition, biomechanics, flexibility, training regimen and limb size, all play a role. Furthermore, after a specific training duration these variables can be re-measured to assess adaptations and define the next training progression. ![]() Once measured, targeted training prescriptions for both running and neuromuscular development are prescribed. By measuring the contribution of both the aerobic and glycolytic (anaerobic) energy systems of running, an assessment of the running economy can be made.
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