Purpose:This study investigated the energy system contributions of judo athletes to the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT).Methods:Fourteen male judo athletes performed the SJFT, which comprised three periods of judo activity (A = 15 s, B and C = 30 s) interspersed with 10 s rest intervals. During this test, one athlete threw two others positioned 6 m from each other using the ippon-seoi-nage technique. The fractions of the aerobic, anaerobic alactic and anaerobic lactic systems were calculated based on oxygen uptake, the fast component of excess postexercise oxygen uptake, and changes in net blood lactate, respectively. The contribution of the three energy systems was compared using a repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons test. Compound symmetry, or sphericity, was determined by Mauchly’s test. A level of significance of 5% (P < .05) was adopted in all analyses.Results:The alactic energy system presented a higher (F = 20.9; P < .001; power observed = 1.0) contribution (86.8 ± 23.6 kJ; 42.3 ± 5.9%) during the test when compared with both aerobic (57.1 ± 11.3 kJ; 28.2 ± 2.9%) and lactic (58.9 ± 12.1 kJ; 29.5 ± 6.2%) energy systems (P < .001 for both comparisons).Conclusions:The higher alactic contribution seems to be a consequence of the high-intensity efforts performed during the test, and its intermittent nature. Thus, when using the SJFT, coaches are evaluating mainly their athletes’ anaerobic alactic system, which can be considered to be the most predominant system contributing to the actions (techniques) performed in the match.

The purpose of this study was to determine ice-hockey players' playing intensity based on their heart rates (HRs) recorded during a game and on the outcomes of an incremental maximum oxygen uptake test. Sixteen ice-hockey players, members of the Polish national team junior (U20), performed an incremental test to assess their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in the 2 week's period preceding 4 games they played at the World Championships. Players' HRs at the first and second ventilatory thresholds obtained during the test were used to determine intensity zones (low, moderate, and high) that were subsequently used to classify HR values recorded during each of the games. For individual intensity zones, the following HRs expressed as mean values and as percentages of the maximal heart rate (HRmax) were obtained: forwards, 143-151 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 75.2-79.5%), 152-176 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 80.0-92.4%), 177-190 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 92.9-100.0%); defensemen, 127-139 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 69.4-75.8%), 140-163 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 76.4-89.0%), 164-184 b · min(-1) (HRmax, 89.5-100.0%). The amounts of time the forwards and defensemen spent in the 3 intensity zones expressed as percentages of the total time of the game were the following: 58.75% vs. 44.29% (low), 21.95% vs. 25.84% (moderate), and 19.30% vs. 29.87% (high). The forwards spent average more time in the low-intensity zone than did the defensemen, with the difference being statistically significant in periods 1 and 2 (61.44% vs. 44.21% at p ≤ 0.001 and 59.14% vs. 47.23% at p ≤ 0.01, respectively). The results of the study indicate that a method using aerobic and anaerobic metabolism parameters to determine intensity zones can significantly improve the reliability of evaluation of the physiological demands of the game and can be a useful tool for coaches in managing the training process.

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The study aimed to determine the values of selected aerobic and anaerobic capacity variables, physical profiles, and to analyze the results of on-ice tests performed by ice-hockey players relegated to a lower league. Performance of 24 ice-hockey players competing in the top league in the 2012/2013 season was analysed to this end. In the 2013/2014 season, 14 of them still played in the top league (the control group), while 10 played in the first league (the experimental group). The study was conducted one week after the end of the playoffs in the seasons under consideration. The results revealed that only in the experimental group the analysed variables changed significantly between the seasons. In the Wingate test, significant changes were only noted in mean relative power (a decrease from 9.91 to 9.14 W/kg; p=0.045) and relative total work (a decrease from 299.17 to 277.22 J/kg; p=0.048). The ramp test indicated significantly lower power output in its final stages (364 compared with 384 W; p=0.034), as well as a significant decrease in relative VO2max (from 52.70 to 48.30 ml/min/kg). Blood lactate concentrations were recorded at the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th min of recovery after the ramp test. The rate of post-exercise recovery, ∆LA, recorded after the ramp test turned out to be significantly lower. The times recorded in the on-ice “6x30 m stop” test increased from 32.18 to 33.10 s (p=0.047). The study showed that playing in a lower league where games were less intensive, training sessions shorter and less frequent, had an adverse effect on the performance level of the investigated players. Lower VO2max recorded in the study participants slowed down their rates of post-exercise recovery and led to a significantly worse performance in the 6x30 m stop test, as well as lower relative power and relative total work in the Wingate test.

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of resistance training with the use of a suspension system on exercise tolerance, evaluated through an exercise test, and the changes in selected echocardiographic parameters of patients after myocardial infarction. The study involved 44 males. The subjects were divided into two groups: Standard (20) and Suspension system (24). All the subjects had undergone an angioplasty with stent implantation. The standard and suspension system groups carried out a 24-day improvement program comprising 22 training units. Each session consisted of endurance, general stamina and resistance training. Instead of resistance training, the experimental group made multijoint exercises with a suspension system. Statistically significant changes in both groups were observed in the parameters of the echocardiographic exercise test, such as test duration (p = 0.000), distance covered (p = 0.000), MET (p = 0.000), VO2max (p = 0.000) and SBPrest (p = 0.013). Additionally, SBPmax in the suspension system group improved (p = 0.035). The echocardiographic test revealed significant improvement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in both groups (SP group p = 0.001, standard group p = 0.005). The lipid profile test in the SP group revealed statistically significant improvement of TC (p = 0.003), HDL (p = 0.000) and LDL (p = 0.005). Training with the suspension system had a positive effect on the change of exercise tolerance level, left ventricular function and blood lipid profile.

The aim of the study is to identify the relationships of the results of the physiological and anthropometric tests and special on-ice fitness tests with individual player performance indicators during matches of the Poland men's national ice hockey team played during the U18 Ice Hockey World Championship. A total of 20 hockey players (forwards, n=12 and defensemen, n=8) of the Poland men's national ice hockey team were included in this study. All participants were performed a battery tests including maximal aerobic capacity, Wingate test, Repeated-Skate Sprint test and vertical jump test. Pearson correlations were used to examine any differences in all measures and +/– score. Only the fatigue index calculated from the repeated-skate sprint test was significantly correlated with absolute +/– score (r=0.47, p<0.05). The result of the aerobic capacity test, expressed by means of the oxygen intake value (V̇O2max), despite being statistically insignificant, reached the value of r=0.42. The results of this study suggest that game performance as indicated by the +/– score can be predicted by the fatigue index calculated from the repeated-skate sprint test.

The presence of a well-developed collateral circulation in the area of the artery responsible for the infarction improves the prognosis of patients and leads to a smaller area of infarction. One of the factors influencing the formation of collateral circulation is hypoxia, which induces angiogenesis and arteriogenesis, which in turn cause the formation of new vessels. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of endurance training conducted under normobaric hypoxia in patients after myocardial infarction at the level of exercise tolerance and hemodynamic parameters of the left ventricle. Thirty-five patients aged 43–74 (60.48 ± 4.36) years who underwent angioplasty with stent implantation were examined. The program included 21 training units lasting about 90 min. A statistically significant improvement in exercise tolerance assessed with the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) was observed: test duration (p < 0.001), distance covered (p < 0.001), HRmax (p = 0.039), maximal systolic blood pressure (SBPmax) (p = 0.044), peak minute ventilation (VE) (p = 0.004) and breathing frequency (BF) (p = 0.044). Favorable changes in left ventricular hemodynamic parameters were found for left ventricular end-diastolic dimension LVEDD (p = 0.002), left ventricular end-systolic dimension LVESD (p = 0.015), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p = 0.021), lateral e’ (p < 0.001), septal e’ (p = 0.001), and E/A (p = 0.047). Endurance training conducted in hypoxic conditions has a positive effect on exercise tolerance and the hemodynamic indicators of the left ventricle.

The kinetics of post-exercise heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (EPOC) was studied in 10 elite cyclists subjected to four laboratory cycle ergometer maximal exercises lasting 30, 90, 180 or 360 s. Heart rate and oxygen uptake (VO2) were recorded over a period of 6 min after the exercise. By applying the logit transformation to the recorded variables and relating them to the decimal logarithm of the recovery time, uniform single-phase courses of changes were shown for both variables in all subjects and exercises. This enabled computing half-recovery times (t½) for both variables. Half-time for VO2 negatively correlated with square root of exercise duration (within-subject r=–0.629, p<0.001), the total post-exercise oxygen uptake till t½ was thus constant irrespectively of exercise intensity. The method is simple and enables reliable comparisons of various modes of exercise with respect to the rate of recovery.