Adriano di Paco1, Bruno-Pierre Dubé2, Pierantonio Laveneziana3. 1. Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Weaning Center, Auxilium Vitae, Volterra, Pisa, Italia; Rehabilitation Bioengineering Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and Auxilium Vitae, Volterra, Pisa, Italia. 2. Département de Médecine, Service de Pneumologie, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canadá. 3. Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS_1158 Neurophysiologie respiratoire expérimentale et clinique, París, Francia; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service des Explorations Fonctionnelles de la Respiration, de l'Exercice et de la Dyspnée (Département «R3S», Pôle PRAGUES), París, Francia. Electronic address: pierantonio.laveneziana@psl.aphp.fr.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The beneficial impact of an 8-month competitive season on the ventilatory profile response to exercise in soccer players has never been evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ventilatory profile (evaluated by determining individual tidal volume [VT] relative to minute ventilation [VE] inflection points during exercise) and metabolic responses to incremental exercise were evaluated in 2 professional soccer teams before and after an 8-month competitive season. RESULTS: No differences between teams in anthropometric characteristics or in resting cardiopulmonary variables, included oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR), before and during the competitive season were found. At iso-speed, there were overall improvements in carbon dioxide output (VCO2), VE/VO2, VE/VCO2, VE and respiratory frequency (fR) during the season. The VT/VE inflection points 1 and 2 occurred with greater exercise time, HR, VO2, VCO2, VE and VT during the competitive season. CONCLUSIONS: Despite very high baseline performance and a negligible improvement in VO2, an 8-month competitive season improved ventilatory profile response to exercise in elite athletes.
INTRODUCTION: The beneficial impact of an 8-month competitive season on the ventilatory profile response to exercise in soccer players has never been evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ventilatory profile (evaluated by determining individual tidal volume [VT] relative to minute ventilation [VE] inflection points during exercise) and metabolic responses to incremental exercise were evaluated in 2 professional soccer teams before and after an 8-month competitive season. RESULTS: No differences between teams in anthropometric characteristics or in resting cardiopulmonary variables, included oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR), before and during the competitive season were found. At iso-speed, there were overall improvements in carbon dioxide output (VCO2), VE/VO2, VE/VCO2, VE and respiratory frequency (fR) during the season. The VT/VE inflection points 1 and 2 occurred with greater exercise time, HR, VO2, VCO2, VE and VT during the competitive season. CONCLUSIONS: Despite very high baseline performance and a negligible improvement in VO2, an 8-month competitive season improved ventilatory profile response to exercise in elite athletes.