AEROBIC FITNESS OF ELITE FEMALE AND MALE WRESTLERS

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the aerobic fitness of elite female wrestlers, and to determine whether there are gender differences in the physiological response to graded exercise. Materials and Methods: Ten female and ten male freestyle wrestlers volunteered for the study. They all performed a graded exercise test on the treadmill until exhaustion. To measure lactate concentration capillary blood was taken from the finger tip at the end of every workload and after 3, 5 and 7 minutes of recovery. Anaerobic threshold was defined as the running velocity associated with 4 mmol/l during the incremental exercise test (AT(4)) and as the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT). Results: Maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max) normalized to body mass or to fat free mass was significantly higher in male than in female wrestlers (59.8 and 49.7 ml/min/kg and 72.7 and 63.9 ml/min/kg FFA, respectively). Total oxygen uptake at the anaerobic thresholds (AT4 and IAT) was similar in men and women, but when expressed as %VO(2)max, it was significantly higher in females. The peak blood lactate concentration was significantly higher in male than in female wrestlers (14.1 and 10.5 mmol/l, respectively). Conclusion: This study was the first to assess the aerobic fitness of female wrestlers. It demonstrated that there are significant gender related differences between female and male wrestlers. Possibly the lower VO(2)max in the female wrestlers was compensated by their higher oxygen utilization at the anaerobic threshold. This result indicates that AT4 method is sufficiently reliable for measuring anaerobic threshold for female and male wrestlers. (Biol.Sport 26:339-348, 2009)