Physiological factors which influence the performance potential of athletes: analysis of sports medicine performance testing in Nordic combined.

The sports medicine performance diagnostics include investigative procedures that supply information on the performance capacity and stamina of an athlete. This creates a foundation for a personalised training plan and enables optimised control of the training process. The study population consisted of 24 male Nordic combined athletes from the national German squad. They were monitored using sports medicine over a period of five winter seasons. The test speeds on the treadmill in m/s are determined at lactate values of 2, 3 and 4 mmol/l in the peripheral blood values to calculate the lactate curve. The higher the test performance expressed as a percentage, the more likely it was that a top position could be achieved. The individual anaerobic threshold and the maximal oxygen uptake increased significantly with an increase in test performance expressed as a percentage. The older the athlete, the better they performed in the overall world cup. When age increased, the test speed [m/s] at lactate values of 2, 3 and 4 mmol/l also increased, along with the test performance expressed as a percentage, the maximal oxygen uptake and the individual anaerobic threshold. A higher BMI proved advantageous in terms of placement in the individual competitions. In this study the test speed at a lactate concentration of 4 mmol/l can be recommended as a robuster, more independent from mathematical models and physiologically more valid parameter for performance diagnostics in professional athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]