Noninvasive determination of the anaerobic threshold in canoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, roller, and iceskating, rowing, and walking

Summary

The relationship between velocity (V) and heart rate (HR) was determined in four canoeists, 42 cross-country skiers, 73 cyclists, nine ice-skaters, 10 roller-skaters, 32 rowers, and 20 walkers. The athletes were asked to increase their work intensity progressively, from low to submaximal velocities; HRs were determined by ECG in roller-, ice-skating, and walking, or read on a cardiofrequency meter in canoeing, cross-country skiing, cycling, and rowing.

In all the athletes examined the linearity of the V-HR relationship was maintained up to a submaximal speed (deflection velocity, V_d), beyond which the increase in work intensity exceeded the increase in HR.

V_d and anaerobic threshold (AT), determined through blood lactate measurements, were coincident in 19 athletes (6 cross-country skiers, 3 cyclists, 2 roller-skaters, 3 rowers, and 5 walkers).

V_d was correlated with the average speeds maintained in walking (20km, n=13, r=0.88), cross-country skiing (15 km, n=20, r=0.80; 30 km, n=8, r=0.82; 12 km, n=7, r=0.86; 11 km, n=7, r=0.86) and cycling (1,000 m flying-start, n=68, r=0.83), thus showing that AT is a limiting factor in these aerobic events.