APPLIED
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGYLOWER
LIMBS MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION IN SKIERS
Avram Claudiu,
Oravitan Mihaela, Domokos Martin
Department
of Physical Education and Sport, West University Timisoara, Romania
Increasing muscular performance
(a combination of muscular strenght, endurance and stamina) is an
important target for all professional skiers. The present
study is aiming to present the most importance indicators and
their importance in evaluation of muscular performance in skiers.
Eleven
alpine skiers (aged 23±4 years, height 177±8.2cm
and weight 82.3±12.5kg) selected among students who chose to
specialize in ski from Physical Education and Sport Faculty, West
University Timisoara were randomly included in our study. They were
evaluated using girth measurement, cardiopulmonary exercise testing
(CPX) and dynamic strength measurement. During CPX test the subjects
were pedaling on the bicycle ergometer and we recorded the maximum work
rate (WR) and VO2max. For dynamic strength evaluation the subject was
required to perform 5 lower limbs triple extensions on the DYNO
ergometer – maximum and average pushing force (Fmax and Favg)
were displayed. At the end of the study we tried to correlate the
obtained parameters in order to see which are the best to be used in
skiers evaluation. The strongest correlations were obtain between WR
and Fmax (r2=0.44, p=0.04) and Favg (r2=0.49, p=0.01). No correlation
was observed between thigh circumference and any of the other
parameters. We conclude that WR, Fmax and Favg are very useful
parameters for lower limbs muscular performance evaluation in skiers.
Even thigh circumference measurement is a very easy and traditional
evaluation; it isn’t an accurate determinant of muscular
performance.
KEY WORDS: muscular performance,
skiers, work
rate.
