Aerobic power and supramaximal endurance of competitive figure skaters.

Hypotheses: 1) figure skaters possess average aerobic power; 2) on-ice training would not improve aerobic power of supramaximal endurance; 3) off-ice training plus on-ice training would improve aerobic power and supramaximal endurance.

Experimental Design: This was a prospective, controlled study in which we monitored ice skaters before, during and after two different 10 week training programs.

Setting: Athletes training for competition sanctioned by the United States Figure Skating Association.

Participants: 15 figure skaters (12 females) enrolled at an ice skating academy were randomly placed in two study groups.

Interventions: Grp 1 maintained on-ice training and Grp 2 supplemented on-ice with cycle ergometer training.

Measures: Maximum O2 consumption (VO2peak) during cycle ergometer exercise, anaerobic threshold, HR, supramaximal exercise time and the lactate (LACT) response to exercise.

Results: (*, p < 0.05), Grp 1: VO2peak, pre = 44.2 +/- 2.2 ml/[kg.min], post = 41.4 +/- 1.6 ml/[kg.min]; VO2peak% (% predicted), pre = 100 +/- 5%, post = 92 +/- 4%; anaerobic threshold as % VO2peak (AT%), pre = 74 +/- 3%, post = 73 +/- 3%; Supramaximal Time, pre = 0.87 +/- 0.12 min, post = 0.94 +/- 0.12 min; lower LACT occurred at VO2peak and supramaximal exercise following on-ice training. Grp 2: VO2peak, pre = 50.7 +/- 3.6 ml/[kg.min], post = 55.9 +/- 3.3 ml/[kg.min]*; VO2peak%, pre = 110 +/- 7%, post = 121 +/- 6%*; AT%, pre = 80 +/- 2%, post = 83 +/- 2%*; Supramaximal Time, pre = 1.31 +/- 0.18 min, post = 2.69 +/- 0.66 min*; lower LACT occurred at 50%, 75% and VO2peak following training.

Conclusions: 1) Grp 1 plus Grp 2 had average aerobic power (VO2peak = 105 +/- 3% of predicted) prior to the study; 2) on-ice training did not affect aerobic power or supramaximal endurance, while off-ice training improved these parameters; 3) the LACT response detected training adaptations.