Cardiorespiratory responses during exercise in competitive in-line skaters

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Cardiorespiratory fitness is crucial for athletic performance.
• In-line skating is a popular recreational and competitive activity.
• Understanding the physiological demands of in-line skating is important for training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the cardiorespiratory responses (heart rate and oxygen consumption) of competitive in-line skaters during submaximal and peak skating.
• To compare these responses to the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness development.
• To investigate the influence of self-selected stroke frequency and body position on physiological responses.

Main Methods:

• 12 male competitive in-line skaters performed 10 trials on a 644-m indoor course.
• Trials involved varying velocities (22.5 and 27.4 km/h), stroke frequencies, and body positions.
• Cardiorespiratory responses, including heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO2), were measured.

Main Results:

• At 22.5 km/h, HR was 74% and VO2 was 51% of peak.
• At 27.4 km/h, HR was 85% and VO2 was 72% of peak.
• A leftward shift in the VO2-HR relationship was observed, indicating higher HR for a given VO2 compared to ACSM guidelines. Self-selected stroke frequency and bent body position at higher speeds resulted in lower HR and VO2.

Conclusions:

• Competitive in-line skaters can safely achieve velocities that stimulate cardiorespiratory fitness.
• Athletes naturally adopt stroke frequencies and body positions that optimize their heart rate and oxygen consumption.
• In-line skating provides a viable means for developing cardiorespiratory fitness.