Does body fat and skinfold affect my performance in running middle distance races?
Without question, your body fat level, as estimated through skinfold measurements, affects your performance in middle-distance running events. In running as in most sports, body fat is dead weight. It doesn’t help you move, but instead hinders movement. Elite middle-distance runners are aways very lean, with body fat percentages well under 10 percent in men and under 20 percent in women. That said, I don’t recommend that you make lowering your body fat percentage an explicit goal. Runners (usually female) who do this often underfuel their bodies and thereby sabotage their performance and health. You’ll be better off if you simply train and fuel your body for maximum performance and let your body fat level take care of itself.
