HEART RATE, OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND ARTERIAL PRESSURE IN SKIERS OF DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS IN THE TEST TO EXHAUSTION

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of our study was to assess heart rate, oxygen consumption, and arterial pressure in professional skiers of different skill levels at various stages of the test to exhaustion. Materials and methods. We examined 208 skiers (male, ages 14–32): 50 – first sports category, 80 – candidates for master of sports, 78 – masters of sports (according to the Russian system of sports qualification). The bicycle ergometer test was performed by using the OxyconPro system (Erich Jaeger, Germany). Results. Heart rate, oxygen consumption at each stage of the test, as well as arterial pressure were measured. During the test, at the peak load and at the first minute of recovery significant difference between skiers in terms of heart rate and systolic blood pressure disappeared. Conclusion. Our data on cardiorespiratory system performance during the bicycle ergometer test will allow improving the control of the functional status and training process in skiers of different skill levels and can serve as a tool for determining physiological fitness for various sports qualifications.