Ventilatory Threshold in Various Groups of Highly Trained Athletes

Abstract

The ventilatory threshold (VT) was determined on a treadmill in highly trained male marathon, male and female long-distance, young male long-distance, adult male and female and young female middle-distance runners, modern pent-athlonists, adult canoeists of both sexes, young male canoeists and football players, and on a bicycle ergometer in table tennis players, water slalom paddlers, young female canoeists, rowers, and ice hockey players. Young female canoeists were also examined on the paddling ergometer and rowers on the rowing ergometer. VT expressed in %V̇O₂ max was higher the longer the duration of racing performance (in marathoners 86.7%). %V̇O₂ max at the VT level depends on the type of load and is higher the better the organism is adapted to a load. In young female canoeists and rowers examined on the bicycle ergometer, we found the VT level at 74.2% and 74.6% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively. In the case of specific loading, we recorded 84.8% and 85.0% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively, in the same athletes. In the case of nonspecific loading highly trained individuals may have low VT values close to the level characteristic for normal subjects. In relatively equally trained young and adult athletes, we did not find significant differences in %V̇O₂ max at the VT level (for long-distance runners, 85.2% and 85.3%, respectively, in female middle-distance runners, 82.8% and 82.7%, respectively, and in canoeists 81.3% and 78.9% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively). Similarly, there were no significant differences in %V̇O₂ max at the VT level in relatively equally trained males and females (in long-distance runners, 85.2% and 84.9%, respectively, in middle-distance runners, 82.8% and 82.7%, respectively, and in canoeists 81.3% and 82.7% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively). By the determination of the VT and especially by an interpretation we must take into account, besides the protocol and methods of determination of VT, the duration of the competition and thus also, the type of training process and the specificity of load used.

Key words

ventilatory threshold - treadmill - bicycle - paddling - rowing exercise