IMPLEMENTATION OF PULSE OXIMETRY MEASUREMENT TO WIRELESS BIOSIGNALS PROBE

Monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV) and oxygen saturation is important in medicine as well as training of top athletes. Our work describes the implementation of pulse oximetry functions in sensor system for measurement of biosignals. It allows us to follow along even pulse biosignal and the flow rate of blood

Sport-Specific Differences in Power–Velocity–Force Profiling during Trunk Rotations at Different Loads

This study investigates differences in power and velocity at different loads and power and force at different velocities during trunk rotations in athletes who practice sports with rotational demands on the trunk. Athletes of combat (n = 23), fighting (n = 39), ball (n = 52) and water sports (n = 19) with a mean age of 23.8 ± 1.5 years performed standing trunk rotations on each side with bars of different weights (from 1 kg up to 50 kg) placed on their shoulders. The findings showed significant between-group differences in mean power in the acceleration phase of trunk rotations, especially at higher weights (≥10.5 kg) or lower velocities (≤334.2 rad/s). The power at 10.5 kg was significantly higher in fighting than water (p = 0.035; d = 0.86), combat (p = 0.001; d = 1.53) and ball sports athletes (p = 0.001; d = 1.48), with no significant differences between the two latter groups; at 15.5 kg, it was higher in water than combat (p = 0.027; d = 0.91) and ball sports athletes (p = 0.009; d = 1.17) but not those in fighting sports; and at 20 kg, it was higher in water than combat (p = 0.013; d = 0.98) and ball sports athletes (p = 0.006; d = 1.33), with no significant differences with those in fighting sports. This testing is sensitive in discriminating between athletes of various sports, which may reflect the specificity of their training, including trunk rotations at various velocities under different load conditions

Muscle Power during Standing and Seated Trunk Rotations with Different Weights

This study compares peak and mean power during standing and seated trunk rotations with different weights. Twenty seven fit men completed four trials of trunk rotations in both standing and seated positions with a bar weight of 5.5, 10.5, 15.5, and 20 kg placed on the shoulders. The FiTRO Torso Premium was used to monitor basic biomechanical parameters throughout the movement. Results showed significantly higher peak power during standing than seated trunk rotations at weights of 20 kg (274.4±63.5 vs. 206.4±54.6 W, p=0.004), 15.5 kg (371.2±93.9 vs. 313.5±72.3 W, p=0.007), and 10.5 kg (336.9±77.8 vs. 286.3±66.0 W, p=0.009) but not at 5.5 kg (191.6±46.2 vs. 166.0±37.0 W, p=0.061). Similarly, mean power in the acceleration phase of trunk rotations was significantly higher when performed in standing than seated position at weights of 20 kg (143.2±32.1 vs. 101.9±23.7 W, p=0.008), 15.5 kg (185.1±42.3 vs. 150.4±36.5 W, p=0.019), and 10.5 kg (169.8±40.7 vs. 139.7±31.6 W, p=0.024) but not at 5.5 kg (107.4±29.4 vs. 86.5±21.1 W, p=0.111). Furthermore, peak and mean power during standing trunk rotations significantly correlated with values achieved in the seated position at the weight of 5.5 kg (r=0.684, p=0.027; r=0.676, p=0.033) but not at 10.5 kg (r=0.589, p=0.089; r=0.552, p=0.143), 15.5 kg (r=0.493, p=0.243; r=0.436, p=0.298), and 20 kg (r=0.357, p=0.361; r=0.333, p=0.417). In conclusion, power production is greater during standing as compared to seated trunk rotations, with more pronounced differences at higher weights. This fact has to be taken into account when training and testing the trunk rotational power

Anthropometric and Cardiovascular Variables of Elite Athletes

Synchronized swimming and aerobic gymnastics are competitive sports that have grown in popularity throughout the Slovakia and around the world. Unfortunately, a paucity of research exists either on anthropometric and physiological characteristics or physical benefits of these sports. The present study examined anthropometric and cardiovascular characteristics of control group - CO (n = 10) in comparison to competitive synchronized swimmers - SS (n = 11) and aerobic gymnasts - AG (n = 10) between the ages of 13 and 25 years. The physical measures were assessed per the protocols in the following order: height (BH), weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and % body fat (% BF). The measurements of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and maximum heart rate (HRmax) were examined by spiroergometry via COSMED K4b2. All measurements were collected by trained data collection staff. An analysis of variance (Kruskal - Wallis) with a Mann-Whitney U test for the significant effect among the three groups showed that aerobic gymnasts were taller than synchronized swimmers and control group (p = .02). Training and conditioning requirements specific for the two athletic groups caused that AG and SS have higher level of VO2max (p = .02) and VO2max.kg-1 (p = .00), and also lower level of the body weight (p= .01), BMI (p = .01) and the % BF (p = .00). These findings confirm that selected parameters are considered the bases for success in elite sports. This information could also help to design specific training and evaluate the adaptation to training stimuli with the aim to maximize sport performance