Differences in Muscle Oxygenation, Perceived Fatigue and Recovery between Long-Track and Short-Track Speed Skating

Abstract

Due to the technical nature of speed skating, that is affecting physiological mechanisms such as oxygenation and blood flow, this sport provides a unique setting allowing us to uncover novel mechanistic insights of the physiological response to exercise in elite middle-distance and endurance sports. The present study aimed to examine the influence of skating mode (short-track vs. long-track) on muscle oxygenation, perceived fatigue, and recovery in elite speed skating. Muscle oxygenation of 12 talented short-track speed skaters was continuously monitored during a long-track (LT) and a short-track (ST) skating time-trial of maximal effort using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the m. vastus lateralis for both legs. Video captures were made of each testing session for further interpretation of the muscle oxygenation. To determine recovery, perceived exertion was measured 2 and 4 h after each testing sessions. Repeated measures ANOVA's were used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). After a rapid desaturation in both legs directly after the start, an asymmetry in muscle oxygenation between both legs was found during LT (tissue saturation-index (TSI%)-slope: left = 0.053 ± 0.032; right = 0.023 ± 0.020, p < 0.05) and ST speed skating (TSI%-slope: left = 0.050 ± 0.052, right = 0.001 ± 0.053, p < 0.05). Resaturation of the right leg was relatively lower in ST compared to LT. For the left leg, no difference was found between skating modes in muscle oxygenation. Respectively, two (ST = 5.8 ± 2.0; LT = 4.2 ± 1.5) and 4 h (ST = 4.6 ± 1.9; LT = 3.1 ± 1.6) after the time-trials, a higher rate of perceived exertion was found for ST. Based on our results, ST seems more physiologically demanding, and longer periods of recovery are needed after training compared to LT. Technical aspects unique to the exercise mode seem to impact on oxygenation, affecting processes related to the regulation of exercise intensity such as fatigue and recovery.

Keywords: elite athletes; endurance; near-infrared spectroscopy; training; winter sport.

Figure 1

A typical example of the velocity profiles during both long-track (upper panel) as well as short-track (lower panel) speed skating for a single time-trial (^*indicates a significant difference between skating modes for velocity and acceleration, p < 0.05).

Figure 2

A typical example of the Δ tissue saturation index (%) during both a long-track (upper panel) as well as a short-track (lower panel) time-trial for one subject.

Figure 3

Temporal changes in right and left vastus lateralis during the long-track time trial: HbO₂ (upper panel), HHb (middle panel), and tHb (lower panel).

Figure 4

Temporal changes in right and left vastus lateralis during the short-track time trial: HbO₂ (upper panel), HHb (middle panel), and tHb (lower panel).

Figure 5

Δ Tissue saturation index (%) in one lap during long-track speed skating. Straights in long-track speed skating are characterized by a repetitive cyclic pattern of three phases per leg: gliding phase, push-off (leg on-ice), and repositioning phase (leg off-ice). These three phases are remarked for a single stroke of the right leg. The corners are characterized by a series of leg crossovers.

Figure 6

Δ Tissue saturation index (%) in one lap during short-track speed skating. The straight in short-track speed skating contains one glide on each blade (both legs on-ice). The corner in short-track speed skating contains three subsections in the following order: an entry at which the skater performs leg crossovers, a hang in which the skater travels around the apex of the corner supported solely on the right blade, and an exit involving leg crossovers.

Figure 7

Skating at the corner (upper panel) and the straight (lower panel) in long track speed skating. The corner typically contains a series of leg crossovers. The straight is characterized by several strokes containing a gliding phase (left panel), push-off (middle panel), and repositioning phase (right panel) as shown in the lower figure for the right leg.

Figure 8

Skating at the corner (first three panels) and the straight (right panel) in short track speed skating. The corner in short-track speed skating contains three subsections in the following order: an entry at which the skater performs leg crossovers, a hang in which the skater travels around the apex of the corner supported solely on the right blade, and an exit involving leg crossovers. The straight contains in short-track speed skating a glide on each blade and ends when the left blade touches the ice after the right foot glide.

Figure 9

Tissue saturation index trace (ΔTSI%) during the 6-s sprint cycle test protocol for both legs.