Physiological And Electromyography Responses During A Maximal Incremental Skating Test On Slide Board

Abstract

Specific skating fitness test is challenging to be performed on laboratory or track, because the use of skating treadmill is expensive. Since slide board skating mimics the skating gesture, it could be used as an alternative method to evaluate speed skaters. PURPOSE: To analyze the physiological responses and muscle activation characteristics during an incremental slide board skating test. METHODS: 10 ice speed skaters completed a maximal 1-min stage incremental cadence skating protocol on an instrumented slide board, until voluntary exhaustion or until they were no longer capable to keep the pace. Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), blood lactate [Lac] and EMG of vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), biceps femoris (BF), gluteus maximum (GM), gluteus medius (GMd) and adductor magnus (AM) muscles were analyzed. Maximal physiological indices and the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) were determined. Root mean square (RMS) of EMG signal was compared between muscles and throughout the test (10%, 40%, 70% and 90% of the test), using Student’s t test (p<0.05). RESULTS: All participants attained at least three of four criteria for VO2max attainment (VO2 plateau, maximum HR predicted, RER ≥ 1.1 and [Lac] ≥ 8 mmol.l-1). VT2 occurred at 84.3 ± 3.1% of maximal cadence (CADmax) obtained during the test. RMS significantly increased as the cadence increased for all the muscles (p < 0.05). RMS of all muscles analyzed significantly increased at each instant of time. GM activation at the end of the test (227.2±55.2% of the beginning of the test) was significantly higher than all muscles analyzed, followed by VL (183.2±36.8%). A significant correlation between RMS and CADmax was found for VL (r=0.87), GM (r=0.86) and GMd (r=0.74). CONCLUSION: An incremental maximal skating protocol on slide board elucidated maximal physiological responses and seems adequate to evaluate aerobic indices of performance on skaters. Also, the muscle recruitment pattern during skating on slide board was similar to the one found on treadmill skating and ice skating, since GM muscle and VL are the main responsible for the power generated at the hip and knee, respectively, while GMd is associated with the stroke velocity during skating.