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Leanness is key for runners, because fat is excess weight that adds to the energy cost of running, he explains. Fat, unlike muscle, does not contribute to propelling the body forward.
BUMBLEBEES can’t fly, so they thought, back in the early 20th century. With a wide body and tiny wings that flapped a tad too slow, the creatures appeared to be on the wrong side of the law of flight.
But fly they do. And Oxford University scientists, who last year studied the insects in a wind tunnel, call it a triumph of power over finesse, a “brute force approach”.
Size and shape matter, no doubt about it. That’s why Haile Gebrselassie, super lean and slightly built at 1.65m tall and 56kg, can run a world’s best 2hr 3min 59sec in the marathon.
“Yes, there is an ideal size for a runner,” says Dr Ben Tan, head and senior consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre, and one of Singapore’s top marathoners with a 2:56:20 personal best.
Most elite runners, he notes, weigh in the 50s. And their Body Mass Index (square of height in metres divided by weight in kilograms) tends to be at the low end of the healthy 18.5 to 25 range.
But, as bumblebees and American runner Chris Solinsky prove, shape and size are not everything.
Earlier this month at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University, the 1.85m tall, 73kg Solinsky set what his friends have jokingly termed a “fatty world record” in the 10,000m – 26min 56.96sec.
More than just breaking the American record by 17 seconds, the Wisconsin native became the first non-African – and heaviest runner ever – to crack 27 minutes in the event. Of the 30 men in history who have done it, Solinsky is 9kg heavier and 3cm taller than the next heaviest or tallest guys. His BMI: 21.3.
“It’s encouraging news for heavy guys,” says the 1.70m tall, 64kg Dr Tan, 43, who admits he should weigh in the 50s to be a competitive runner.
The former sailor, whose peak weight was 78kg, adds: “I can easily feel the difference a few kilos make when it comes to distance running.”
Leanness is key for runners, because fat is excess weight that adds to the energy cost of running, he explains. Fat, unlike muscle, does not help to propel the body forward. Data compiled by researchers has shown that the average fat percentage among elite marathoners is 3.3 per cent for men and 17.3 per cent for women.
Excess weight increases impact forces, leading to overuse injuries. Fat found under the skin, versus fat stores in the muscles, are particularly deadweight. For they are released too slowly to provide energy and impede
heat dissipation, says Dr Tan.
So what’s the best way to get lean and still eat enough to recover from workouts?
Dr Tan’s advice: Aim to create an energy deficit of 500-1,000 kcal per day. If your training is heavy and the competition is near, aim for a smaller deficit of 300-500 kcal a day – this offers a trade-off between training
quality and effective weight loss.
Instead of starving yourself, I find an easy way of cutting calories is to avoid processed, unhealthy foods and chow down on veggies, fruits and lean protein instead. If you are training right and eating right, your weight
should be optimal once race day comes around.
Take note, however, that if you are already in the ideal weight range, slimming down further could have a negative effect.
Anyway, who knows? You could just be an exception like Solinsky.
“To quote my dad, ‘No one ever told a bumblebee he wasn’t scientifically supposed to be able to fly’,” the American said after his record run, when asked by reporters about getting teased for his size.
“It’s almost been a blessing, because it’s allowed me to be durable, being bigger and sturdier.”
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