title: Physiological characteristics of well-trained junior sprint kayak athletes.
abstract: This study aimed to profile the physiological characteristics of junior sprint kayak athletes (n=21, VO2max 4.1±0.7 L/min, training experience 2.7±1.2 y) and to establish the relationship between physiological variables (VO2max, VO2 kinetics, muscle-oxygen kinetics, paddling efficiency) and sprint kayak performance. VO2max, power at VO2max, power:weight ratio, paddling efficiency, VO2 at lactate threshold, and whole-body and muscle oxygen kinetics were determined on a kayak ergometer in the laboratory. Separately, on-water time trials (TT) were completed over 200 m and 1000 m. Large to nearly perfect (-.5 to -.9) inverse relationships were found between the physiological variables and on-water TT performance across both distances. Paddling efficiency and lactate threshold shared moderate to very large correlations (-.4 to -.7) with 200- and 1000-m performance. In addition, trivial to large correlations (-.11 to -.5) were observed between muscle-oxygenation parameters, muscle and whole-body oxygen kinetics, and performance. Multiple regression showed that 88% of the unadjusted variance for the 200-m TT performance was explained by VO2max, peripheral muscle deoxygenation, and maximal aerobic power (P<.001), whereas 85% of the unadjusted variance in 1000-m TT performance was explained by VO2max and deoxyhemoglobin (P<.001). The current findings show that well-trained junior sprint kayak athletes possess a high level of relative aerobic fitness and highlight the importance of the peripheral muscle metabolism for sprint kayak performance, particularly in 200-m races, where finalists and nonfinalists are separated by very small margins. Such data highlight the relative aerobic-fitness variables that can be used as benchmarks for talent-identification programs or monitoring longitudinal athlete development. However, such approaches need further investigation.
authors.affiliation: UTS: Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Thiago Oliveira
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dascombe
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: Aaron J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Coutts
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared