Specifics of Ventilatory and Heart Rate Chemosensitivity Related to Special Endurance Capacity in High Performance Alpinists and Endurance Athletes

Specifics of Ventilatory and Heart Rate Chemosensitivity Related to Special Endurance Capacity in High Performance Alpinists and Endurance Athletes Background: The aim was to compare ventilatory and heart rate chemosensitivity to hypoxia and hypercapnia in homogenous groups of high performance alpinists and endurance athletes and its relation to special work endurance. Material/Methods: Thirty-two male best national alpinists (30.7±2.7 yrs, VO[2max] 63.7±1.9 ml. kg[-1],min[-1], 14.3±2.4 yrs of experience) and 24 high performance male road cyclists of national team (25.7±1.1 yrs, VO[2max] 74.5±1.5 ml.kg[-1],min[-1], 11.2±1.4 yrs of experience) were examined by isocapnic progressive hypoxia and CO[2] rebreathing tests. Maximal oxygen uptake, lung ventilation and heart rate peak responses were measured in an incremental ergometric test at sea level. Special work capacity of 23 alpinists was evaluated as the best time of non complicated mountain climbing between the point at 3,290 and 4,300 m above the sea level. Special work capacity of cyclists was evaluated as the best time of the individual 50 km race at the sea level. Results: The results showed no significant differences of the hypoxic ventilatory response in groups of alpinists and cyclists (p