Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study

Background: Ski mountaineering is a competitive sport that has gained popularity during the last years. As most competitions are held in altitudes between 1500 m and 3500 m, a considerable amount of training occurs at various hypobaric hypoxia degrees. It was establishing a sport-specific cardiopulm...

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Main Authors: Isabelle Schöffl, Bernhard Bliemsrieder, Thomas Küpper, Volker Schöffl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Applied Sciences in Tarnow, Poland 2021-10-01
Series:Health Promotion & Physical Activity
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.anstar.edu.pl/index.php/hppa/article/view/163
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author Isabelle Schöffl
Bernhard Bliemsrieder
Thomas Küpper
Volker Schöffl
author_facet Isabelle Schöffl
Bernhard Bliemsrieder
Thomas Küpper
Volker Schöffl
author_sort Isabelle Schöffl
collection DOAJ
description Background: Ski mountaineering is a competitive sport that has gained popularity during the last years. As most competitions are held in altitudes between 1500 m and 3500 m, a considerable amount of training occurs at various hypobaric hypoxia degrees. It was establishing a sport-specific cardiopulmonary exercise protocol using standard ski mountaineering equipment on a treadmill. This study investigated altitude’s effects on a self-regulated incremental exercise field test at 3100 m with this protocol. Methods: Six athletes were tested (24.2 ± 4.2 years) from the German Ski Mountaineering National Team with a portable telemetric cardiopulmonary exercise test equipment. First, an incremental indoor step test with skis on a treadmill (altitude 310 m) and four days later outdoor on glacier snow (3085 m) after three days of acclimatization. All athletes were exposed to repetitive intermittent hypoxia during the weeks before the test. Standard cardiopulmonary exercise parameters were recorded while individual training zones were defined according to ventilatory thresholds. Results: In highly trained athletes, mean V̇O2peak (72/ml kg KG/min) was reduced by 25% or 9% per 1000 m altitude gain and by 18% and 23% at the first and second ventilatory thresholds, respectively. Mean maximum heart rate and the heart rate at the ventilatory thresholds were reduced at altitude compared to sea-level, as was the O2pulse. Conclusion: Due to distinctive individual reactions to hypoxia, cold, etc., an individual and sport-specific field performance analysis, representing the daily training environment, is highly useful in world-class athletes for precise training control. Our self-regulated cardiopulmonary field protocol could well prove to serve in such a way.
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spelling doaj.art-2a4c36c1b680465d8d62615d5b84233e2023-06-30T12:41:52ZengUniversity of Applied Sciences in Tarnow, PolandHealth Promotion & Physical Activity2544-91172021-10-01163162510.5604/01.3001.0015.3034163Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot studyIsabelle Schöffl0Bernhard Bliemsrieder1Thomas Küpper2Volker Schöffl3Kinderkardiologische Abteilung, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Becket University, Leeds, United KingdomUnfallchirurgische Klinik und Orthopädische Chirurgie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Abteilung für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Klinikum Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GermanyInstitute of Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen Technical University, Aachen, GermanySchool of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Becket University, Leeds, United Kingdom; Unfallchirurgische Klinik und Orthopädische Chirurgie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Klinikum Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany; Section Wilderness Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, USABackground: Ski mountaineering is a competitive sport that has gained popularity during the last years. As most competitions are held in altitudes between 1500 m and 3500 m, a considerable amount of training occurs at various hypobaric hypoxia degrees. It was establishing a sport-specific cardiopulmonary exercise protocol using standard ski mountaineering equipment on a treadmill. This study investigated altitude’s effects on a self-regulated incremental exercise field test at 3100 m with this protocol. Methods: Six athletes were tested (24.2 ± 4.2 years) from the German Ski Mountaineering National Team with a portable telemetric cardiopulmonary exercise test equipment. First, an incremental indoor step test with skis on a treadmill (altitude 310 m) and four days later outdoor on glacier snow (3085 m) after three days of acclimatization. All athletes were exposed to repetitive intermittent hypoxia during the weeks before the test. Standard cardiopulmonary exercise parameters were recorded while individual training zones were defined according to ventilatory thresholds. Results: In highly trained athletes, mean V̇O2peak (72/ml kg KG/min) was reduced by 25% or 9% per 1000 m altitude gain and by 18% and 23% at the first and second ventilatory thresholds, respectively. Mean maximum heart rate and the heart rate at the ventilatory thresholds were reduced at altitude compared to sea-level, as was the O2pulse. Conclusion: Due to distinctive individual reactions to hypoxia, cold, etc., an individual and sport-specific field performance analysis, representing the daily training environment, is highly useful in world-class athletes for precise training control. Our self-regulated cardiopulmonary field protocol could well prove to serve in such a way.https://journals.anstar.edu.pl/index.php/hppa/article/view/163spiroergometryperformance testingski mountaineeringexercise testingcpec
spellingShingle Isabelle Schöffl
Bernhard Bliemsrieder
Thomas Küpper
Volker Schöffl
Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
Health Promotion & Physical Activity
spiroergometry
performance testing
ski mountaineering
exercise testing
cpec
title Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
title_full Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
title_fullStr Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
title_short Sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering — comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude, a pilot study
title_sort sportspecific performance diagnosis in ski mountaineering comparison of a sportspecific cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill versus outdoors and at altitude a pilot study
topic spiroergometry
performance testing
ski mountaineering
exercise testing
cpec
url https://journals.anstar.edu.pl/index.php/hppa/article/view/163
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