Faculty Bibliography

This study examined the physiological determinants of performance during rowing over 2,000 m on an ergometer in finalists from World Championship rowing or sculling competitions from all categories of competion rowing (19 male and 13 female heavyweight, 4 male and 5 female lightweight). Discontinuous incremental rowing to exhaustion established the blood lactate threshold, maximum oxygen consumption (VO(2max)) and power at VO(2max); five maximal strokes assessed maximal force, maximal power and stroke length. These results were compared to maximal speed during a 2,000 m ergometer time trial. The strongest correlations were for power at VO(2max), maximal power and maximal force (r=0.95; P<0.001). Correlations were also observed for VO(2max) (r=0.88, P<0.001) and oxygen consumption (VO(2)) at the blood lactate threshold (r=0.87, P=0.001). The physiological variables were included in a stepwise regression analysis to predict performance speed (metres per second). The resultant model included power at VO(2max), VO(2) at the blood lactate threshold, power at the 4 mmol x l(-1) concentration of blood lactate and maximal power which together explained 98% of the variance in the rowing performance over 2,000 m on an ergometer. The model was validated in 18 elite rowers, producing limits of agreement from -0.006 to 0.098 m x s(-1) for speed of rowing over 2,000 m on the ergometer, equivalent to times of -1.5 to 6.9 s (-0.41% to 1.85%). Together, power at VO(2max), VO(2) at the blood lactate threshold, power at 4 mmol x l(-1) blood lactate concentration and maximal power could be used to predict rowing performance.

Cardiac damage has recently been implicated in the aetiology of "exercise induced cardiac dysfunction". The humoral markers of cardiac damage that have been utilised to date are not sufficiently cardio-specific to investigate this hypothesis. The aim of the present study was to examine cardiac function following prolonged exercise, and investigate the contention of cardiac damage utilising a new highly cardio-specific marker. Thirty-seven competitors in the 2-day Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon 2000 volunteered for the study. Competitors were sub-divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 11) were examined using echocardiography pre and post the event, examining left ventricular diastolic and systolic function. Group 2 (n = 26) had venous blood samples drawn prior to the event and immediately following day-1 and day-2. Blood samples were analysed for total creatine kinase activity (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB(mass) (CK-MB(mass)), and cardiac troponin T. Echocardiographic results indicated left ventricular diastolic and systolic dysfunction following cessation of exercise. CK and CK-MB(mass) were both elevated following day-1, and immediately following race completion. Cardiac troponin T levels were below the 99th percentile (0.01 microg/L) in all subjects prior to the event, following day-1 cTnT was elevated above 0.01 microg/L in 13 subjects, but returned to below 0.01 microg/L following race completion on day-2. However, no individual data reached clinical cut-off levels for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (0.1 microg/L). Two days arduous exercise over mountainous terrain resulted in cardiac dysfunction, and significant skeletal muscular degradation. The elevation of cTnT above the 99th percentile in the present study is suggestive of minimal myocardial damage. The clinical significance of and exact mechanism responsible for such damage remains to be elucidated.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of time of day on physiological responses to running at the speed at the lactate threshold. After determination of the lactate threshold, using a standard incremental protocol, nine male runners (age 26.3 +/- 5.7 years, height 1.77 +/- 0.07 m, mass 73.1 +/- 6.5 kg, lactate threshold speed 13.6 +/- 1.6 km x h(-1); mean +/- s) completed a standardized 30 min run at lactate threshold speed, twice within 24 h (07:00-09:00 h and 18:00-21:00 h). Core body temperature, heart rate, minute ventilation, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide expired, respiratory exchange ratio and capillary blood lactate were measured at rest, after a warm-up and at 10, 20 and 30 min during the run. In addition, the rating of perceived exertion was reported every 10 min during the run. Significant diurnal variation was observed only for body temperature (36.9 +/- 0.9 degrees C vs 37.3 +/- 0.3 degrees C) and respiratory exchange ratio at rest (0.86 +/- 0.01 vs 0.89 +/- 0.07) (P < 0.05). Diurnal variation persisted for body temperature throughout the warm-up (37.1 +/- 0.2 degrees C vs 37.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C) and during exercise (36.2 +/- 0.6 degrees C vs 38.6 +/- 0.4 degrees C), but only during the warm-up for the respiratory exchange ratio (0.85 +/- 0.05 vs 0.87 +/- 0.02) (P < 0.05). The rating of perceived exertion was significantly elevated during the morning trial (12.7 +/- 0.9 vs 11.9 +/- 1.2) (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that, despite the diurnal variation in body temperature, other physiological responses to running at lactate threshold speed are largely unaffected. However, a longer warm-up may be required in morning trials because of a slower increase in body temperature, which could have an impact on ventilation responses and ratings of perceived exertion.