Using portable NIRS to compare arm and leg muscle oxygenation during roller skiing in biathletes: a case study

Portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been shown to be a useful and reliable tool for monitoring muscle oxygenation and blood volume changes during dynamic exercise in elite athletes. The wearable nature of such technology permits the measurement of specific muscles/muscle groups during realistic sport-specific exercise tasks in an outdoor environment. The aim of this case study was to observe the effect on arm and leg muscle oxygenation of roller skiing over a typical outdoor racing course. Such information is required by coaches in order to ascertain whether an athlete is using the correct technique at different stages of the course. Two wearable NIRS devices (PortaMon, Artinis Medical Systems) were used to compare muscle tissue oxygen saturation (TSI%) and total haemoglobin (tHb) changes in the quadriceps muscle group (vastus lateralis) and a muscle of the upper arm (triceps) during roller skiing. During the flat section, quadriceps ΔTSI remained steady in both subjects, whereas triceps ΔTSI showed a reduction (-10 %). During the steep uphill section of the course, arm and leg TSI decreased equally in one subject (ΔTSI = -10 %), whereas there was a difference between the two muscle groups in the other subject (ΔTSIquadriceps = -2 %; ΔTSItriceps = -7 %). A difference was also seen between subjects during the downhill section of the course. This study presents the first example of the use of portable NIRS to assess oxygenation and blood volume changes in multiple muscle groups during roller skiing in a realistic, outdoor setting.