ANAEROBIC WORK CAPACITY IN ELITE WHEELCHAIR ATHLETES

To study the anaerobic work capacity in wheelchair athletes, 67 elite wheelchair athletes (50 male) were studied in a 30-second sprint test on a computer-controlled wheelchair ergometer during the World Champio nships and Games for the Disabled in Assen (1990). The experimental se t-up (ergometer, protocol) proved to be adequate in terms of power out put (P30, P5) velocity and heart rate. Male and female athletes were c omparable with respect to personal characteristics (age, body weight, training hours). Track athletes (classified in 4 different functional classes) showed a class-related mean power output (P30: mean power pro duced during the 30-second sprint period) of 23, 68, 100, and 138 W fo r the male athletes (n = 38) and 38, 77, and 76 W for females in the u pper three classes (n = 10). Sprint power was low for the group of sub jects with cerebral palsy (35 W; mixed, n = 6) and relatively high for the amputee group (121 W; mixed, n = 6), female basketball players (8 1 W; n = 5), and two male field athletes (110 W). Significant differen ces between male and female athletes were found for P30 and P5 (highes t mean power output over any of the six 5-second periods). As was to b e expected, mean maximum heart rate in the sprint test varied signific antly between the track groups from 112 (high lesion group) to 171 bea ts/minute(-1) (low lesion group) but not for both genders. The lower P 30 in the T-1 and T-2 groups must be explained not only by the reduced functional muscle mass and impaired coordination but also by phenomen a of cardiovascular dysfunction. Based on the performance parameters, the functional classification of the track athletes into four groups s eems adequate. P30 was significantly associated with the personal char acteristics of gender and hours of training. A significant correlation was found between P30 and sprint performance times for 200 meters (r = -0.79). No correlation was found between either of the forms of powe r output and the marathon times. Anaerobic wheelchair work capacity ca n be adequately studied with the 30-second sprint test that was used i n this study. Anaerobic work capacity is highly variable among elite w heelchair athletes with different disabilities and from different spor ts disciplines and appeared quite strongly influenced by functionality , hours of training, and gender.