Cardiorespiratory and anthropometric parameters in athletes across various sports

Abstract

Current scientific literature does not adequately address the relationship between cardiorespiratory characteristics and strength capabilities in athletes from different sports disciplines, limiting the full potential of physical activity. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the cardiorespiratory system parameters and strength capabilities of students involved in both team and cyclic sports. Material and methods: The study involved 31 students in their 1st to 3rd years at a medical university in Russia. Anthropometric indicators were assessed using floor scales with a height meter and body mass index calculations. The vegetative balance was studied by recording a cardiointervalogram lasting at least 5 minutes, for which the hardware and software complex "NS-Polyspectrum-Neurosoft" was used. Measurement of lung volumes was carried out using a hardware and software complex with a pneumotachometric sensor "PC Spirometry Schiller Computer Spirometry System". The following parameters were analyzed: body length and weight, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, muscle strength of both hands, accuracy of muscle efforts of both hands, heart rate variability parameters, and pulmonary ventilation parameters. Results. It was found that students involved in game and cyclic sports have multidirectional changes in the parameters of muscle effort accuracy, autonomic reactivity, and pulmonary ventilation. There are differences in the accuracy of muscle efforts for the left hand, which may be due to the specificity of the game sport. In addition, among representatives of game sports, there is a relative tension of regulatory mechanisms, accompanied by a predominance of innervation of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and a decrease in parasympathetic regulation. Representatives of game sports also have increased activity of the central mechanism of cardiac regulation. This is manifested by differences in the parameters pNN50, MxDMn, SDNN, RMSSD, SI, and LF/HF. Changes in pulmonary ventilation, which are expressed by shifts in the vital capacity of the lungs and respiratory volume, cause a more intensive increase in the elasticity of the lungs among representatives of cyclic sports. The study of correlation dependencies between the studied indicators demonstrated some features in groups of different sports. Conclusions. The specificity of the sport can affect the dynamics of changes in the indicators of dynamometry, vegetative balance and pulmonary ventilation. The identified features must be taken into account when organizing the educational and training process, which will increase its effectiveness.