Fitness profiles of elite Finnish athletes

Abstract

The requirements of 11 different sport events were studied on the basis of fitness profiles calculated from the results of 4 - 6 best athletes in each sport event and on the basis of correlation coefficients between parameters studied and the ranking order in athletes own sport event. Each sport event seemed to have its own specific requirements and even the pure: endurance events, cross country skiing and long-distance running, differed from each other. Inspite of the specific demands the events could be classified into four subgroups. The aerobic endurance events included cross-country skiing, long-distance running and nordic combination. The canoeists, 800m runners and alpine skiers were classified into anaerobic enduranos athletes. The third group of events, ice hockey and speed skating, were regarded as speed endurance events. The skijumpers 100 - 400m runners, jumpers and throwers formed the fourth group of events: power events. Based on the correlation coefficients between various parameters it is suggested that the neuromuscular and anaerobic determinants of physical performance capacity are opposite characteristics of aerobic performance capacity both at whole body level and at muscle tissue level.