Cardiovascular reactions during exhausting isometric exercise while windsurfing on a simulator or at sea

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Windsurfing demands significant isometric muscular effort.
• Endurance capacity varies between professional and amateur athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the physiological responses and endurance of professional versus amateur windsurfers during simulated isometric exercise.
• To investigate the relationship between exercise duration, physiological parameters, and motivation.

Main Methods:

• Isometric exercise on a windsurfing simulator to exhaustion.
• Measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, forearm blood flow, and capillary blood lactate levels.
• Comparison of performance metrics between professional and amateur windsurfers.

Main Results:

• Professional windsurfers exercised twice as long as amateurs.
• Significant increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and lactate levels were observed during exercise.
• Post-exercise hyperemia reached 28.2 ml/(100 ml tissue x min).
• No significant correlation found between exercise time and handgrip force.

Conclusions:

• Professional windsurfers possess greater endurance capacity than amateurs.
• Motivation is a significant factor influencing exercise duration in windsurfing.
• Physiological responses during simulated windsurfing are substantial, with high heart rates and lactate levels under intense conditions.