Aim: To examine the effects of the sequencing order of individualised intermittent endurance training combined with muscular strengthening on aerobic performance and capacity. Methods: Forty eight male sport students (mean (SD) age 21.4 (1.3) years) were divided into five homogeneous groups according to their maximal aerobic speeds (vV O 2 MAX). Four groups participated in various training programmes for 12 weeks (two sessions a week) as follows: E (n = 10), running endurance training; S (n = 9), strength circuit training; E+S (n = 10) and S+E (n = 10) combined the two programmes in a different order during the same training session. Group C (n = 9) served as a control. All the subjects were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) the training period using four tests: (1) Results: Training produced significant improvements in performance and aerobic capacity in the 4 km time trial with interaction effect (p,0.001). The improvements were significantly higher for the E+S group than for the E, S+E, and S groups: 8.6%, 5.7%, 4.7%, and 2.5% for the 4 km test (p,0.05); 10.4%, 8.3%, 8.2%, and 1.6% for vV O 2 MAX (p,0.01); 13.7%, 10.1%, 11.0%, and 6.4% for V O 2 MAX (ml/kg 0.75 /min) (p,0.05) respectively. Similar significant results were observed for t lim and the second ventilatory threshold (%V O 2 MAX). Conclusions: Circuit training immediately after individualised endurance training in the same session (E+S) produced greater improvement in the 4 km time trial and aerobic capacity than the opposite order or each of the training programmes performed separately.

The aim of this study was to examine the heart rate (HR) response to Olympic windsurfing competition and to check if there was any correlation between racing HR, performance, and the variables measured during laboratory maximal exercise. Ten elite windsurfers [age: 20.93 (3.46) years; height: 178.10 (6.34) cm; body mass: 66.79 (5.90) kg] performed a laboratory maximal oxygen consumption (.VO(2max)) trial and national windsurf competitions wearing a HR monitor. One hundred and forty-three individual races were examined. Racing HR was expressed as a percentage of (1) HR(max) (maximal treadmill HR) and (2) HR(reserve) (HR(max)-HR(rest)). The performance (racing classification: RC, which is inversely proportional to performance) was significantly correlated to the racing HR response in both light wind (LW): LW-RC=-0.12(%HR(reserve))+13.03; r=-0.71, r(2)=0.50, p<0.001, and medium wind (MW): MW-RC=-0.11(%HR(reserve))+10.99; r=-0.66, r(2)=0.43, p<0.001. The results showed similar correlations between performance and %HR(max). Post racing lactate concentration was higher in LW compared to MW [7.14 (0.21) and 5.18 (2.02) mmol.l(-1), respectively]. There was a negative correlation between the highest racing HR (%HR(reserve)) of each athlete and the second ventilatory threshold expressed as a percentage of .VO(2max) ( r=-0.71, p<0.05). To summarize, this study showed that light and medium wind Olympic windsurfing performances are highly dependent on the capacity of the athlete to maintain a high HR for long periods of time. Furthermore, windsurfing is highly dependent on the athlete's physical fitness level as shown by the correlations between racing HRs and laboratory physiological variables.

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In this study we report the fortuitous description of hemoglobin (Hb) Hope in a Tunisian athlete. This Hb is one of hemoglobin variants that show a lower stability and oxygen affinity that is beneficial to tissue oxygen delivery. Hb Hope was isolated by automated high performance liquid chromatography and was unequivocally found to be Hb Hope using DNA-based methods: polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, direct DNA sequencing. Restriction haplotype showed that this Hb was supported by the Mediterranean haplotype I. Hb Hope was identified at first in a black African-American family and later in several other black and non black ethnic groups. All these descriptions raise the question of the Hb Hope origin. Recently, Hb Hope was reported in Thai in association with the same Mediterranean haplotype I. This favors that Tunisian and Thai Hb Hope would share a common Mediterranean origin, thus suggesting the possibility of a Mediterranean gene flow. On another hand, the observation of Hb Hope in a high level athlete would suggest a selection pressure of this Hb variant due to higher physical aptitude.

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