Aerobic performance of paralympic basketball players

The goal is to assess the level of aerobic performance of the Paralympic basketball players in the pre-competition period. Materials and methods. The study involved 10 highly qualified Paralympic basketball players in wheelchairs (varying from Candidate Master of Sports to Master of Sports of the Russian Federation) and 14 athletes practicing athletics (medium and long distances) and sport orienteering, having sport qualifications varying from 1 category to Master of Sports of the Russian Federation. The test stand was represented with Cosmos Quasar Treadmill (for runners) and hand-held MONARK Ergomedic 891 ergometer E (for basketball players in wheelchairs) with a step-up load and Metalyzer 3B gas analyzer (Germany). The authors determined absolute and relative indicators of maximum oxygen consumption (MOC); ventilation threshold (VT) as indicators of aerobic-anaerobic transition; oxygen consumption (OC) at the moment of VT achievement; respiratory coefficient (RER); depth, frequency and respiratory minute volume (RMV). Results. The parameters of the respiratory minute volume and maximum oxygen consumption (both relative and absolute) in Paralympic basketball players are significantly lower, and they make up 43.3% and 55.4% of those of runners, which can be regarded as normal in our case, taking into account the specificity of their trainings and motor impairments. Wheelchair basketball players demonstrate a great spread of MOC indicators. The relative MOC values ranged from 18 ml / kg / min to 45 ml / kg / min, and absolute values from 1.14 l / min to 2.6 l / min. It can be considered as a consequence of the existing function disorders of the skeleto-muscular system, which at various levels limit the MOC achievement. Conclusion. It have been revealed that the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin level of wheelchair basketball players with traumatic spinal cord injuries correspond to those of healthy athletes at rest, but the parameters of respiratory minute volume and maximum oxygen consumption are significantly lower than in runners. Meanwhile among the weakest elements of the oxygen transport system of wheelchair basketball players there are insufficient velocity of oxygen delivery to the muscles, insufficient diffusion capacity and oxidative potential of muscles, and excessive accumulation of metabolites of aerobic glycolysis, which is common for healthy athletes as well.

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