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Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering - comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study

100%

Schöffl I., Bliemsrieder B., Küpper T., Schöffl V.

Health Promotion & Physical Activity

2021

vol. 16

issue 3

16-25

Background: Ski mountaineering is a competitive sport that has gained popularity during the last years. As most competitions are held in altitudes between 1500 m and 3500 m, a considerable amount of training occurs at various hypobaric hypoxia degrees. It was establishing a sport-specific cardiopulmonary exercise protocol using standard ski mountaineering equipment on a treadmill. This study investigated altitude’s effects on a self-regulated incremental exercise field test at 3100 m with this protocol.Methods: Six athletes were tested (24.2 ± 4.2 years) from the German Ski Mountaineering National Team with a portable telemetric cardiopulmonary exercise test equipment. First, an incremental indoor step test with skis on a treadmill (altitude 310 m) and four days later outdoor on glacier snow (3085 m) after three days of acclimatization. All athletes were exposed to repetitive intermittent hypoxia during the weeks before the test. Standard cardiopulmonary exercise parameters were recorded while individual training zones were defined according to ventilatory thresholds.Results: In highly trained athletes, mean V̇O2peak (72/ml kg KG/min) was reduced by 25% or 9% per 1000 m altitude gain and by 18% and 23% at the first and second ventilatory thresholds, respectively. Mean maximum heart rate and the heart rate at the ventilatory thresholds were reduced at altitude compared to sea-level, as was the O2pulse.Conclusion: Due to distinctive individual reactions to hypoxia, cold, etc., an individual and sport-specific field performance analysis, representing the daily training environment, is highly useful in world-class athletes for precise training control. Our self-regulated cardiopulmonary field protocol could well prove to serve in such a way.

Cardiopulmonary exercise tests of adolescent elite sport climbers – a comparison of the German junior national team in sport climbing and Nordic skiing

76%

Schöffl I., Wüstenfeld J., Jones G., Dittrich S., Lutter C., Schöffl V.

Health Promotion & Physical Activity

2021

vol. 14

issue 1

1-8

Introduction: All the research investigating the cardiopulmonary capacity in climbers is focused on predictors for climbing performance. The effects of climbing on the cardiovascular system in adolescents climbing at an elite level (national team) have not been evaluated.Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performed on a cycle ergometer during the annual medical examination of the entire German Junior National climbing team on one occasion and for a selected subgroup on two occasions spaced two years apart. The data from the subgroup was compared to an age- and gender-matched control of Nordic skiers from the German Junior National Nordic skiing team.Results: 47 climbers (20 girls, 27 boys) were examined once. The VO2peak achieved by the athletes was 41.3 mL kg−1 min−1 (boys) and 39.8 mL kg−1 min−1 (girls). 8 boys and 6 girls were tested twice over a period of 27.5 months. The parameters of the exercise test measured on both occasions were significantly lower than those of the 8 male and 6 female Nordic skiers. There was no change with respect to any variables (e.g. VO2peak, peak work load, peak heart rate, peak lactate or O2 pulse) over the examined period.Conclusions: The elite climbers investigated in this study showed comparable VO2peak values to athletes from team and combat sports. The Nordic skiers to which they were compared showed significantly higher values consistant with the fact that this is an endurance sport. Even though the cardiopulmonary measurements of the Nordic skiers still improved after two years of training, no adaptations could be observed in the elite climbers.

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2 Health Promotion & Physical Activity

2 2021

2 Schöffl I.

2 Schöffl V.

1 Bliemsrieder B.

1 Dittrich S.

1 Jones G.

1 Küpper T.

1 Lutter C.

1 Wüstenfeld J.

Search results

Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering - comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study

Cardiopulmonary exercise tests of adolescent elite sport climbers – a comparison of the German junior national team in sport climbing and Nordic skiing