The relationships between aerobic fitness, power maintenance and oxygen consumption during intense intermittent exercise

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 194 - 203
• Main Authors: Tomlin, DL, Wenger, HA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2002
• Subjects: Adult; Exercise - physiology; Female; Humans; Oxygen Consumption; Physical Fitness; Running - physiology; Soccer - physiology
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/S1440-2440(02)80004-4

This study examined the relationships between VO 2max, power maintenance and oxygen consumption during intense intermittent work. Female recreational soccer players were assigned to either a low aerobic power group (LOW, n=6, mean (SD) VO 2max = 34.4 (2.4) mL·kg −1·min −1) or to a moderate aerobic power group (MOD, n=7, VO 2max = 47.6 (3.8) mL·kg −1·min −1). VO 2 was measured while subjects performed 10 6-s all-out sprints (30-s passive recovery) on a Monark cycle ergometer. LOW and MOD subjects generated similar peak 6-s power (p = .58) but MOD had a smaller decrement in power (% DO) over the 10 sprints (LOW vs MOD: 18.0 (7.6) vs 8.8 (3.7) % DO, p=.02). The MOD group also consumed significantly more oxygen than LOW in 9 of the 10 sprint-recovery cycles (p <.05). Significant relationships were seen between VO 2max and the aerobic response to the sprint-recovery series (r= .78, p=.002) as well as between VO 2max and % DO (r= −.65, p=.02), while a nonsignificant relationship was seen between the oxygen consumed during the sprint-recovery cycles and % DO (r= −.41, p=.16). Thus, VO 2max appears to be related to both an increased aerobic contribution to sprint-recovery bouts and the enhanced ability of the MOD group to resist fatigue during intense intermittent exercise.