A physiological performance profile of a world record holder masters race walker

The aim of the present paper was to investigate the relationship between physiological laboratory assessment and race performance in a masters endurance race walker. The participant was a 65 year-old male former Olympian who now competes on the international masters circuit. The participant performed three laboratory visits over a 13-week period. The participant competed in four races over distances from 3 km to 30 km and achieved a new age category (M65) world record in the 30 km discipline. The results here suggest a close relationship between velocity at lactate threshold and performance time in the 30 km event. The participant is an example of “exceptionally successful aging”. This paper could be a useful tool for endurance athletes of similar ages and their coaches when analysing their own performance.