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Correlation between heart rate and performance during Olympic windsurfing competition
Karim Chamari1, Imen Moussa-Chamari, Olivier Galy
1National Centre of Sports Medicine, El Menzah, Tunisia.
European Journal of Applied Physiology
|April 19, 2003
Summary
Olympic windsurfing performance relies on maintaining a high heart rate (HR) during races, especially in light winds. Elite windsurfers
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Performance Analysis
Background:
- Elite windsurfing demands significant physiological exertion.
- Understanding the cardiovascular response during competition is crucial for optimizing training.
- Previous research has not fully explored the link between in-competition HR and laboratory-assessed fitness in windsurfers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the heart rate (HR) response during Olympic windsurfing competitions.
- To investigate correlations between racing HR, performance metrics, and laboratory maximal exercise variables.
- To determine the influence of wind conditions (light vs. medium) on physiological responses.
Main Methods:
- Ten elite windsurfers underwent laboratory maximal oxygen consumption (.VO(2max)) testing.
- Participants wore HR monitors during national windsurf competitions, with 143 races analyzed.
- Racing HR was calculated as a percentage of maximal treadmill HR (%HR(max)) and HR reserve (%HR(reserve)).
Main Results:
- Performance (racing classification) showed significant negative correlations with %HR(reserve) in both light wind (r=-0.71) and medium wind (r=-0.66) conditions.
- Post-race lactate concentrations were higher in light wind conditions compared to medium wind.
- A negative correlation was observed between highest racing HR (%HR(reserve)) and the second ventilatory threshold (% of .VO(2max)), indicating a link between in-competition effort and lab-measured fitness.
Conclusions:
- Olympic windsurfing performance, particularly in light winds, is strongly associated with the ability to sustain high heart rates over extended periods.
- The study highlights the critical role of overall physical fitness, as assessed in laboratory settings, in determining competitive success in windsurfing.
- Windsurfing performance is demonstrably linked to an athlete's cardiovascular endurance and physiological capacity during intense competition.