Vol.1, No 10, 2003 pp. 1 - 10
UDC 797.253 : 612.171
Scientific Paper
A SWIM-TEST AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC RESULTS
ON MALE JUNIOR WATER POLO PLAYERS
Leonidas Petridis1, Jana Kubátová2,
Klio Petridou3
1Semmelweis University Budapest, Faculty
of Physical Education and Sport Sciences
H-1123 Alkotás u. 44, Budapest, Hungary
2Jan Evangelista Purkyne University,
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
Ceske mladeze 8, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
3Aristotele University of Thessaloniki,
Faculty of Philosophy
H-1055 Szt. István krt. 3, Budapest, Hungary
e-mail: Leonidas@mail.hupe.hu
Abstract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results
of a swim-test which we repeatedly used for the assessment of the fitness
level in Hungarian male junior water-polo players by relating the results
to the players' echocardiographic parameters. It could be a point of interest
if a relationship between the results of the swim-test and cardiac function
were established.
26 male junior elite and 11 Olympic champion water-polo players participated
in the swim-tests and the echocardiographic measurements. 25 healthy men
served as a non-athletic comparison group. The swim test included the time
result of a 30 m maximal intensity swim (Tmax), the mean time of a 6×30
m interval swim (Tmean), the number of heart beats during the 4 minutes
of recovery (P4) and the difference between the heart beats during the
first and the second half min. of recovery (Delta). Morphological and functional
parameters of the heart were measured by echocardiography. The observed
variables were related to body size by indices in which the exponents of
the numerator and the denominator were matched. The echocardiographic measurements
showed clear signs of left ventricular hypertrophy in the water-polo players
compared to the non-athletic group. Between the swim-test and the echocardiographic
measurements no close correlations were found, though when we correlated
the cardiac parameters with swimming velocity (instead of the time results
of the swim-test) some correlations became stronger. The results suggest
that there was no linear relationship between the swim-test and the cardiac
parameters; however, a parallel adaptive improvement of the junior players
to non-athletes could be noticed in both measurements as a result of regular
training. It appears justifiable that associations should be sought above
all in the pace of the respective improvements on a proportional basis.
The current swim-test seems to be not precise enough to evaluate the cardiac
function of the athletes. The methodological conception in relating a resting
parameter (echocardiographic measurements) to maximal dynamic ones (swim-test)
needs further investigation.
Key words: water-polo, swim-test, athlete's heart, echocardiography,
cardiac adaptation.
TEST PLIVANJA I EHOKARDIOGRAFSKI REZULTATI
KOD JUNIORA - IGRAČA VATERPOLA
Svrha ove studije je da proceni rezultate testova plivanja koji su korišćeni
za procenu fitnes-nivoa kod Mađarskih juniora - vaterpolo igrača i odnosi
se na ehokardiografske parametre igrača. Osnovni cilj je da se utvrdi da
li može postojati veza između rezultata testa plivanja i srčane funkcije
26 elitnih juniora i 11 olimpijskih vaterpolo šampiona koji su učestvovali
u testu plivanja i ehokardiografskim merenjima. 25 zdravih muškaraca nesportista
služili su kao grupa za upoređivanje. Test plivanja uključuje vremenske
rezultate: 30 m plivanja maksimalnim intenzitetom (T max), srednje vreme
6×30 m intervalnog plivanja (T mean), broj srčanih otkucaja tokom četiri
minuta oporavka (P4) i razliku između srčanih otkucaja tokom prve i druge
polovine min oporavka (Delta). Morfologija i funkcionalni parametri srca
su mereni ehokardiografijom. Ehokardiografska merenja pokazala su jasne
znake leve ventrikularne hipertrofije kod vaterpolo igrača u poređenju
sa nesportistima. Između testa plivanja i ehokardiografskih merenja neka
bliža korelacija nije pronađena. Rezultati su sugerisali da između testa
plivanja i srčanih parametara ne postoji linearna veza. Ipak, zapaženo
je adaptivno poboljšanje na oba merenja kod juniora igrača kao rezultat
regularnog treniranja. Trenutni test plivanja izgleda da nije dovoljno
precizan da proceni srčanu funkciju sportista. Metodološka koncepcija koja
se odnosi na parametre odmaranja (ehokardiografska merenja) i maksimalne
dinamičke parametre zahteva dalja istraživanja.
Ključne reči: vaterpolo, test plivanja, srce sportiste, ehokardiografija,
srčana adaptacija.
