engleski

INFLUENCE OF RACE WALKING GXT PROTOCOL ON VO2PEAK

INTRODUCTION: Unlike in running, in race walking there are no standard graded treadmill tests to assess aerobic capacity. The suitability of test protocols with linearly progressive load which are used for running is questionable for race walking, since in the high intensity zone there is an exponential growth of energy consumption, which significantly shortens duration of the test. The aim of the study was to compare two different test protocols and establish the influence of race walking treadmill test protocol on VO2peak. METHODS: Thirty four amateur race walkers (19 men and 15 women) preformed two different graded race walking tests to exhaustion (at 1% treadmill grade), in random order: 1. with speed increments of 0.5 km/h every 30 sec (standard protocol otherwise used for running, T05) and 2. with speed increments of 0.3 km/h every 30 sec (finely graded load increments, T03). Quark b2 (Cosmed) metabolic cart was used for breath-by-breath data collection and analysis. Data were averaged for each step, at 30 sec periods, and the maximal VO2 value for a single step was considered as VO2peak. Students t- test was used to determine differences in functional parameters between the tests at VO2peak and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the relationship between parameters of the two tests. RESULTS: In the finely graded test a significantly higher VO2peak was found compared to T05 (47.1±6.2 : 45.9±6.0 ml/kg/min, p = 0.037), as well as higher maximum heart frequency (183.5±13 : 186.5±13/min, p = 0.004) and maximum minute ventilation (117.1±32.1 : 111.2±29.5 L/min, p = 0.013). On the contrary, a significantly higher maximal (technically correct) race walking speed was achieved in T05 (10.94±0.88 : 11.21±0.98, p = 0.005). Significant, high relationships were found between parameters of the tests (r = 0.76-0.95, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In comparison to running (as a load modality), a more finely graded test protocol is recommended for race walking to determine parameters of aerobic capacity

race walking, ventilatory threshold, anaerobic threshold, aerobic threshold, progressive load tests

nije evidentirano