Determining Physiological and Energetic Demands during High-Level Pommel Horse Routines Using a Modified Method Based on Heart Rate-Oxygen Uptake Functions.

This study aimed (1) to assess the validity of a modified method (M mod ) based on heart rate (HR)-oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) regression functions to calculate total energy costs (W total ) and aerobic (W aer ) and anaerobic alactic energy contribution (W pcr ) and (2) to analyse the physiological and energetic demands of high-level pommel horse routines (PH routines). The M mod was developed because VO 2 measurements are limited during high-level PH routines. Answering Part 1, nine male artistic gymnasts performed a PH routine where energy costs were calculated from VO 2 measurements and then compared with energy costs determined from the HR- VO 2 regressions of M mod 's two additional tests. Using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Deming regression, W aer (CCC = 0.955), W pcr (CCC = 0.999), and W total (CCC = 0.990) show substantial to almost perfect validity without constant or proportional bias. Data from eight further gymnasts performing a high-level PH routine and a graded exercise test (GXT), as well as four data sets from Part 1, were used to determine physiological and energetic demands using M mod . VO 2 and HR during PH routines reached 86.1% and 90.4% of the maximal values during GXT. W pcr was 47.0%, anaerobic lactic energy contribution (W blc ) was 29.7%, and W aer was 23.3% of W total required during PH routines. Summarising the energetic demands of high-level PH routines, they are mainly anaerobic, where W pcr provides the largest energy share. W aer provides a substantial part of W total and should therefore also be specifically trained.