Physiological metabolic aspects of long-term endurance tests in school sports

From the perspective of preventive medicine and learning physiology it is important to introduce children and young people to effective aerobic endurance training. In the field study presented, boys and girls of school years 6, 8, 10 and 12 underwent 3 running tests of 12, 20 and 30 min duration and were tested for lactate concentration, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). The physiological metabolic parameters were compared and recommendations for an appropriate long-term endurance test for school sport were given depending on the results. The 12 min running test provoked a higher average lactate concentration (5.3-10.9 mmol/l lactate) in both sexes of all school years than the 2 longer running tests. The average lactate concentrations, however, may be evaluated as quite harmless in school sport provided there is adequate preparation. The longer running tests also require sufficient preparation as they cause average lactate concentrations of approximately 4-8.5 mmol/l and obviously higher demands for volitional properties than shorter running tests. The 20 min running test can be considered as an alternative to the Cooper test (12 min running test): lactate concentrations in blood are between 18.5 % and 23 % lower on average and heart rates and RPE after the test are only slightly higher. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.