Anaerobic performance capacity in athletes

Abstract

Neuromuscular and anaerobic performance characteristics in 89 athletes and 31 reference subjects were studied. The main parameters were vertical velocity (Vᵥ) and muscular power (MP) during running up the stairs, total and relative isometric leg force, blood lactate after maximal treadmill running, percentage of fast twitch fibers (%FT fibers), lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in m. vastus lateralis (VL) and in some cases in m. gastrocnemius and m. deltoideus. Vᵥ and MP were recorded highest among power athletes (running 100-400m, jumping, throwing), ice hockey players and speed skaters. Total and relative leg forces of the power athletes, canoeists, ice hockey players, skijumpers and alpine skiers were highest. Power athletes, 800m runners, canoeists and alpine skiers had highest and almost equal blood lactate concentrations. Power athletes had 63% FT fibers in m. VL but it did not differ significantly from the mean value of reference subjects. The relative leg force, vertical velocity and blood lactate correlated significantly with %FT fibers in m. VL of the male athletes. Vertical velocity demonstrated significant correlations also with LDH and CPK. The athletes and their sport events could not be classified systematically into. The parameters studied seemed to divide the athletes and their sport events into neuromuscular, anaerobic and aerobic types. The specific needs of the different sport events might have masked the expected characteristics of energy and power utilization. However, a high %FT fibers might be a prerequisite for a success-full athletes in "power events".