| Summary: | This study aimed (1) to assess the validity of a modified method (M<sub>mod</sub>) based on heart rate (HR)—oxygen uptake (VO<sub>2</sub>) regression functions to calculate total energy costs (W<sub>total</sub>) and aerobic (W<sub>aer</sub>) and anaerobic alactic energy contribution (W<sub>pcr</sub>) and (2) to analyse the physiological and energetic demands of high-level pommel horse routines (PH routines). The M<sub>mod</sub> was developed because VO<sub>2</sub> measurements are limited during high-level PH routines. Answering Part 1, nine male artistic gymnasts performed a PH routine where energy costs were calculated from VO<sub>2</sub> measurements and then compared with energy costs determined from the HR- VO<sub>2</sub> regressions of M<sub>mod</sub>’s two additional tests. Using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Deming regression, W<sub>aer</sub> (CCC = 0.955), W<sub>pcr</sub> (CCC = 0.999), and W<sub>total</sub> (CCC = 0.990) show substantial to almost perfect validity without constant or proportional bias. Data from eight further gymnasts performing a high-level PH routine and a graded exercise test (GXT), as well as four data sets from Part 1, were used to determine physiological and energetic demands using M<sub>mod</sub>. VO<sub>2</sub> and HR during PH routines reached 86.1% and 90.4% of the maximal values during GXT. W<sub>pcr</sub> was 47.0%, anaerobic lactic energy contribution (W<sub>blc</sub>) was 29.7%, and W<sub>aer</sub> was 23.3% of W<sub>total</sub> required during PH routines. Summarising the energetic demands of high-level PH routines, they are mainly anaerobic, where W<sub>pcr</sub> provides the largest energy share. W<sub>aer</sub> provides a substantial part of W<sub>total</sub> and should therefore also be specifically trained.
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