Transient oxygen uptake in trained children at the onset of maximal arm and leg exercise

N. Armstrong, B. Davies, J. Mulhall
1982 British Journal of Sports Medicine  
This study was designed to compare the V02 -on response of a group of well-trained, young swimmers at the onset of maximal arm and maximal leg exercise. The cycling V02 max and arm cranking V02 max of 10 male swimmers (age 14.5 ± 1.3 yr) were determined using incremental, continuous protocols on a Monark ergometer. On the day following each of these tests the exercise intensity at which the V02 max had been elicited was applied without any warm-up and the subjects maintained this intensity,
more » ... er arm cranking or cycling, for five minutes. In all tests respiratory gases passed via a low resistance valve into an on-line computerised gas analysis system and heart rates were recorded using a bipolar lead. V02 and associated parameters were recorded every 30 seconds. The mean V02 maxs elicited in the incremental tests (cycling, 3.48 ± 0.57 I/min; cranking 2.40 ± 0.38 I/min) were not significantly different from those elicited in the corresponding 5 minute constant intensity test (cycling, 3.34 ± 0.46 I/min; cranking, 2.43 ± 0.29 I/min). The changes in V02 during the first four half minute periods of the constant intensity leg exercise expressed as a percentage of the final V02 were not significantly different from the corresponding arm exercise changes expressed in the same manner. There is no study of arm exercise or of the specificity of V02 -on response in children with which to compare these results directly but they do not support the finding in adults that trained muscles are characterised by a relatively faster rise of V02 at the onset of exercise. The methodology used does not make it possible to express the increase of V02 as the half-time directly but the percentage changes in V02 in leg exercise are considerably lower than those reported elsewhere (Macek and Vavra, 1980) using similar methodol-ogy with pre-pubescent boys. Further studies utilising breath by breath analysis are necessary to elucidate the initial kinetics of metabolic transients during exercise with trained children. References Macek, M. and Vavra, J., 1980 "The adjustment of oxygen uptake at the onset of exericse: A comparison between pre-pubertal boys and young adults". Int.J. In a previous study using high speed film analysis it had been established that the action of peddling a kayak was essentially that of a 2nd order lever system (Cooper, 1974). The canoe ergometer, as illustrated, was consequently designed to replicate the technique of actually paddling the kayak and was validated using EMG. To a sample of 15 paddlers, who were all members of the Regional "Centre of Excellence", a stepwise submaximal procedure was used to predict the max V02 on the bicycle and canoe ergometers. Max V02 cycling was found to be not related to max V02 canoeing or to canoe racing performance in the 1000 metre event. However, the relationship between max V02 canoeing and paddling performance is highly significant. With a sample of 11 international competitors; a continuous-type test to exhaustion was used on the canoe ergometer. The aerobic capacity and excess oxygen consumption during the immediate 10 minute recovery period were measured directly. The max V02 canoeing and oxygen debt were both on 29 April 2019 by guest. Protected by copyright.
doi:10.1136/bjsm.16.2.111 fatcat:zwy3a5id3zao3gcpsg4ctxhqf4