Abstract
Cross-country skiing has a positive effect on health. However, without an individual, thoughtful, and professional plan, it can cause irreversible health problems from overload and injury. The impact of exercise on results is well understood within the group of professional athletes. However, this remains unknown within the group of amateur cross-country skiers and marathon runners—in particular, the impact of the summer preparation period in which training loads performed in the oxygen zone combined with resistance training dominate. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the cardiovascular capacity and body mass composition of male cross-country skiers in the preparation period of their macrocycle. Variables were analyzed using basic descriptive statistics: mean and standard deviation (SD). To compare the results from both measurements (initial and final) the paired Wilcoxon test was used. A statistically significant increase was noted in maximum oxygen uptake and maximum minute ventilation, and a decrease in body fat content, maximum lactate concentration and lactate threshold, and heart rate on anaerobic threshold. Research indicated that in the amateur group increases similar to those in top competitors were achieved in the parameters tested, but the initial level was often significantly lower.
Highlights
Monitoring of physical effort in competitive sport is a key element in the training process used by trainers, physiologists, and doctors
Significant changes were recorded in the: percentages of body fat mass, body fat mass, VO2max, maximum lactate concentration, maximum ventilation (L/min), lactate concentration anaerobic threshold (AT), and breathing rate on AT
The study indicates that a four-month comprehensive training for amateur long-distance skiers with the use of roller skis has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system
Summary
Monitoring of physical effort in competitive sport is a key element in the training process used by trainers, physiologists, and doctors. The determination of cardiovascular capacity parameters establishes the initial level before training, allows to assess the progress made and to predict the negative impact of excessive physical exertion. This applies in particular to endurance efforts such as long-distance cross-country skiing. It requires many years of physical activity and the use of periodization of training, for example, to avoid overloading and its negative impact on health. There are no reports on the impact of physical effort on the level and change of VO2max in amateur long-distance skiing, which significantly differs in terms of requirements from other sports
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