Serves for evaluation physical performance engaged and not engaged in maximum oxygen consumption (MOC). MPC is a single indicator characterizing a person’s physical capabilities, which are limited by the performance of the cardiorespiratory system ( respiratory system and the circulatory system are closely related in unified system, called cardiorespiratory), the role of which is to provide working muscles with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the body. And with all this, maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) is the main indicator of aerobic endurance.

As you know, the amount of oxygen consumed by muscles is equivalent to the work they do. Consequently, the body's oxygen consumption increases in proportion to the power of the work performed. MIC characterizes the maximum amount of oxygen that can be used by the body per unit of time. The higher the MOC, the greater (other things being equal) the absolute power of maximum aerobic exercise.

MIC can be determined using maximum samples (direct method) and submaximal samples (indirect method). For IPC definitions direct method Most often, a bicycle ergometer or treadmill and gas analyzers are used. When using direct method The subject is required to have the desire to complete the work to failure, which is not always achievable. Therefore, several methods have been developed indirect determination of MIC, based on the linear dependence of MOC and heart rate when working at a certain power. This dependence is expressed graphically on the corresponding nomograms. Subsequently, the discovered relationship was described by a simple linear equation, widely used for scientific and applied purposes for untrained individuals and athletes of speed-strength sports:

MPC = 1.7PWC 170 + 1240

To determine MOC in highly qualified athletes of cyclic sports, the following formula is used:

MPC = 2.2PWC 170 + 1070

Depending on the value of BMD, taking into account age, K. Cooper identifies five categories of physical condition (very poor, poor, satisfactory, good, excellent). The gradation meets practical requirements and allows one to take into account the dynamics of the physical state when examining healthy individuals with minor functional impairments. K. Cooper's criteria for various categories of physical condition of men based on MIC are shown in Table 5.

Table 5

Assessment of physical condition based on MIC (ml/min/kg) according to K. Cooper

PWC 170 (PWC are the first letters of the English term “physical working capacity” - Physical Working Capacity) - the amount of work performed at a heart rate of 170 beats / min.

The subject is asked to perform 2 five-minute moderate-power loads with an interval of 3 minutes on a bicycle ergometer, trend bench, or step test, after which the heart rate is measured. The PWC 170 indicator is calculated using the following formula:

where: W 1 and W 2 – power of the first and second loads;

F 1 and F 2 – heart rate at the end of the first and second load.

The PWC 170 principle is suitable for determining both general and specific performance of athletes.

Harvard step-test

This is a widely used test developed in the USA. This test is designed to assess physical performance in healthy young people, because... Considerable stress is required from the subjects being studied, and consists in studying the recovery processes after the cessation of dosed muscular work. The Harvard test is about stepping up a step. The height of the step and the time are given in Table 6. The purity of the ascents is 30 ascents in 1 minute (2 steps in 1 s), the work is performed in 4 counts, the purity of the ascent is set by a metronome. After finishing work, within 30 seconds of the second minute of recovery, count the number of pulse beats and calculate the Harvard Step Test Index (HST) using the formula:

IGST = t ∙ 100: ((f 1 + f 2 + f 3) ∙ 2)

where: t – time to climb a step (s);

f 1, f 2, f 3 – number of pulse beats in 30 s of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th minutes of recovery.

To assess the Harvard Step Test, physical performance is carried out according to Table 7.

Table 6

Step height and time during step test

Table 7

Assessment of physical performance using IGST

When developing endurance, we need to constantly monitor our pulse, as the most accessible and informative indicator of the body’s physical performance.

In sports, two methods of operational pulsometry are used:

1. Pulsemetry– counting the number of heartbeats over a certain period of time, most often 10 s;

2. Intervalometry– determination of the total duration of the standard number of cardiac cycles, for example 10.

The accuracy of the intervalometry method is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of impulseometry. Of course, in group heart rate calculations with the participation of the participants themselves, when the group leader, using one stopwatch, sets the beginning and end of the heart rate measurement on command, the pulse metry method remains the only acceptable one and, being simpler, and most importantly familiar, the pulse metry method remains the main one in practice. However, when monitoring the heart rate of individuals (which is what the PWC 170 test deals with), intervalometry should be the method of choice.

Intervalometry

Intervalometry can be carried out either telemetrically (by ear using a sound signal in a radio receiver) or by palpation on the radial or carotid artery.

The stopwatch starts synchronously with the first beat of the pulse, which becomes, as it were, “zero”, after which only 10 are counted next blows pulse and at the last, tenth mark the stopwatch stops. The time recorded by the stopwatch is the total duration of ten complete cardiac cycles; The heart rate per minute is:

where: t – cycle time per second;

n – number of determined heart cycles.

For convenience of working using the intervalometry method, Table 8 is given, in which heart rate values ​​​​per minute are pre-calculated for all possible values ​​​​with heart rhythms in the range of 39–240 beats/min. On the left side of the table, the first six columns give heart rate values ​​in the most common range of 59-200 beats/min when calculated over 10 cardiac cycles.

In the case of bradycardia (heart rate below 60 beats/min), there is no need to count 10 cardiac cycles and the level of accuracy obtained by counting 5 cardiac cycles is practically sufficient; the corresponding heart rate value is found in the middle part of the table.

In the case of very high heart rate rhythms (more than 200 beats/min), to increase accuracy, it is advisable to determine the total duration of 20 cardiac cycles; the corresponding heart rate value is found on the right side of the table (last two columns).

When heart rhythms exceed 180 beats/min, counting is often difficult and the possibility of researcher error increases. To facilitate the work and increase its accuracy, a special technique can be proposed: counting pulse pairs. So, when counting for 10 cardiocycles, they do not mentally count each beat, but every other beat, and on the fifth of these even pulses, turn off the stopwatch; in the case of counting for 20 cardiac cycles, turn it off at the tenth even pulse. To reliably master this technique, it is necessary to count pairs of impulses, mentally focusing on the second impulse of each pair, i.e. on an even signal, which is counted. Then the stopwatch will be turned off correctly - on the second, and not on the first impulse of the last pair.

Table 8

Heart rate (HR, beats/min) at different total duration (t, s) of the standard number of cardiac cycles

In sports, endurance can be measured using both nonspecific and specific groups of tests. Nonspecific– based on their results, the potential abilities of athletes to train or compete effectively in conditions of increasing fatigue are assessed. Specific– the results of these tests indicate the degree to which potential opportunities are realized.

Nonspecific tests for determining endurance include:

1. Running on the trend track;

2. Pedaling on a bicycle ergometer;

3. Step test.

During the test, both ergometric (time, volume and intensity of tasks) and physiological indicators (maximum oxygen consumption - MOC, heart rate, anaerobic metabolic threshold, etc.) are measured.

Such tests are considered specific, the structure of which is close to competitive. Specific tests measure endurance during a specific activity, such as swimming, cross-country skiing, sports games, martial arts, gymnastics.

Endurance index

The endurance index is the difference between the time it takes to overcome a long distance and the time at this distance that the subject would have shown if he had overcome it at the speed shown by him in the short (reference) segment.

Endurance index = t-t k ∙ n

Where: t– time to cover any long distance;

tk– time to overcome a short (reference) segment;

n– the number of such segments, which in total make up the distance.

Example. Best time The 100 m run of a 16 year old student is 14.0 s. His 2000 m run time is 7 minutes 30 s, or 450 s. Endurance Index = 450 - (14 ∙ 20) = 170 s. The lower the endurance index, the higher the level of endurance development.

The term MOC stands for maximum oxygen consumption (international designation - VO2 max) and indicates the ultimate capacity human body saturate the muscles with oxygen and the subsequent consumption of this oxygen by the muscles to produce energy during exercise physical exercise with increased intensity. The number of red cells in the blood, enriched with oxygen and nourishing muscle tissue, increases with the expansion of circulating blood volume. And blood volume and plasma content directly depend on how well developed the cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular systems are. The MOC indicator is of particular importance for professional athletes, because its high value guarantees more energy produced aerobically, and therefore greater potential speed and endurance of the athlete. It is worth considering that the IPC has a limit, and each person has his own. Therefore, if an increase in maximum oxygen consumption for young athletes is a natural phenomenon, then in older age groups it is considered a significant achievement.

How can you determine your MPC?

The maximum O2 consumption depends on the following indicators:

– maximum heart rate;

– the volume of blood that the left ventricle is able to transfer into the artery in one contraction;

– the volume of oxygen extracted by the muscles;

Exercise helps the body improve the last two factors: blood volume and oxygen. But it is impossible to improve the heart rate; strength loads can only slow down the natural process of stopping the heart rate.

Measuring maximum oxygen consumption with detailed accuracy is only possible in laboratory conditions. The study proceeds as follows: the athlete stands on a running belt and begins to run. The speed of the machine gradually increases, and the athlete thus reaches the peak of his intensity. Scientists analyze the air that comes out of the runner's lungs. As a result, the MIC is calculated and measured in ml/kg/min. You can measure your VO2 max yourself using data on your pace, speed and distance during a competition or race, although the data obtained will not be as accurate as laboratory data.

How to increase your MPC

In order to increase your maximum O2 consumption, your workouts should be at an intensity that is as close to your current VO2 max as possible, i.e. around 95-100%. Moreover, such training requires a fairly long recovery period compared to recovery or aerobic running. Beginners to the sport are not recommended to do more than one such workout per week without undergoing long-term base complex preparations in the aerobic zone. The most effective are considered to be training exercises of 400-1500 meters (5-6 km in total). Between them there should be periods of recovery running: from three to five minutes with a decrease in heart rate to 60% of the maximum.

To improve your results in middle and long distance running, you need to know the basics of running, such as proper breathing, technique, warming up, the ability to do the right approach for race day, do the right strength work for running and others.. For site readers, video lessons are completely free . To receive them, just subscribe to the newsletter, and in a few seconds you will receive the first lesson in the series about the basics of proper breathing while running. Subscribe here: . These lessons have already helped thousands of people, and they will help you too.

Basic health criteria

Health is not only the absence of disease, but also a certain level of physical fitness and functional state body. The main criterion for human health should be considered its energy potential, i.e. ability to consume energy from environment, accumulate it and mobilize it to ensure physiological functions. The more energy the body can accumulate, and the more efficiently it is spent, the higher the level of human health. Since the share of aerobic (with the participation of oxygen) energy production is predominant in the total amount of energy metabolism, it is the maximum value of the aerobic capabilities of the body that is the main criterion of physical health and vitality. It is known from physiology that the main indicator of the aerobic capacity of the body is the amount of oxygen consumed per unit of time (MOC). Accordingly, the higher the MIC, the more healthy a person is. To better understand this point, let's take a closer look at what the IPC is and what it depends on.

Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2)

MIC is the amount of oxygen that the body is able to absorb (consume) per unit of time (taken in 1 minute). This should not be confused with the amount of oxygen that a person inhales through the lungs, because... only part of this oxygen ultimately reaches the organs. It is clear that the more the body is able to absorb oxygen, the more energy it produces, which is spent both on maintaining the internal needs of the body and on performing external work. The question arises: is it really the amount of oxygen absorbed by the body per unit of time that is the factor that limits our performance and determines the level of health? As strange as it may seem at first glance, this is exactly so. Now we need to figure out what the MIC value depends on. Since the mechanism of this process is the absorption of oxygen from the environment, its delivery to the organs and the consumption of oxygen by the organs themselves (mainly skeletal muscles), the MIC will depend mainly on two factors: the function of the oxygen transport system and the ability skeletal muscles absorb incoming oxygen. In turn, the oxygen transport system includes the external respiration system, the blood system and cardiovascular system. Each of these systems makes its own contribution to the value of the IPC, and a violation of any link in this chain can immediately negatively affect the entire process. The connection between the value of BMD and health status was first discovered by the American doctor Cooper. It showed that people with a BMD level of 42 ml/min/kg and above do not suffer chronic diseases and have indicators blood pressure within normal limits. Moreover, a close relationship was established between the BMD value and risk factors coronary disease heart: the higher the level of aerobic capacity (MIC), the better the indicators of blood pressure, cholesterol metabolism and body weight. The minimum limit value of MIC for men is 42 ml/min/kg, for women - 35 ml/min/kg, which is designated as a safe level of somatic health. Depending on the MIC value, 5 levels of physical condition are distinguished (table).

To more accurately determine the level of physical condition, it is customary to evaluate it in relation to the proper values ​​of MIC (BMD), corresponding to the average normal values ​​for a given age and gender.

Determining the actual MIC value is possible in two ways:

• 1. Direct method (using a device - a gas analyzer)
• 2. Indirect method (using functional tests)

Determining MIC by the direct method is quite difficult and requires expensive equipment, so it is not widely used. Calculating MIC by the indirect method has a small error, which can be neglected, but otherwise, it is a very accessible and informative method, which makes it the most used in various sports and health institutions and rehabilitation centers. To determine MIC by an indirect method, the PWC170 test, which determines a person’s physical performance, is most often used.

IPC expresses the limit for this person the “throughput” capacity of the oxygen transport system and depends on gender, age, physical fitness and condition of the body.

Indirect methods for determining MIC include the Astrand method; determination using the Dobeln formula; by size PWC170, etc.

To determine the level of physical performance, tests with maximum and submaximal load can be used: maximum oxygen consumption (VO2), PWC170, Harvard step test, etc.

MPC expresses the maximum “throughput” capacity of the oxygen transport system for a given person and depends on gender, age, physical fitness and condition of the body. On average, MOC in people with different physical conditions reaches 2.5...4.5 l/min, in cyclic sports - 4.5...6.5 l/min. Methods for determining MIC: direct and indirect. The direct method for determining MOC is based on the athlete performing a load whose intensity is equal to or greater than his critical power. It is unsafe for the person being examined, as it is associated with extreme stress on the body’s functions. More often they use indirect methods of determination, based on indirect calculations and the use of low load power. Indirect methods for determining MIC include the Astrand method; determination using the Dobeln formula; in size PWC 170, etc.

Option No. 1. Determination of MIC using the Astrand method.

For work you need: bicycle ergometer, steps 40 cm and 33 cm high, metronome, stopwatch, Astrand nomogram. Progress of work: on a bicycle ergometer, the subject performs a 5-minute load of a certain power. The load value is selected so that the pulse rate at the end of work reaches 140-160 beats/min (approximately 1000-1200 kgm/min). The pulse is counted at the end of the 5th minute for 10 seconds. palpation, auscultation or electrocardiographic method. Then, using the Astrand nomogram (Fig. 4), the MIC value is determined, for which, by connecting the heart rate during exercise (scale on the left) and the body weight of the subject (scale on the right), the MOC value is found at the point of intersection with the central scale.

Option No. 2. Determination of BMD using a step test.

Students take the test in pairs. Within 5 minutes, the subject climbs a step 40 cm high for men and 33 cm high for women at a speed of 25.5 cycles per minute. The metronome is set to frequency 90. At the end of the 5th minute for 10 seconds. Pulse rate is recorded. The MIC value is determined using the Astrand nomogram and compared with the standard for sports specialization (Table 9). Considering that MIC depends on body weight, calculate the relative value of MIC (MIC/weight) and compare with average data, write a conclusion and make recommendations.

Option No. 3. Determination of MIC by pwc170 value.

Progress of work: the calculation of the MIC is carried out using the formulas proposed by V. L. Karpman:

MPC = 2.2 PWC 170 + 1240

For athletes specializing in speed-strength sports;

MPC = 2.2 PWC 170 + 1070

For endurance athletes. Execution algorithm: determine the MOC value according to one of the options and compare it with the data in accordance with the sports specialization according to the table. 9, write a conclusion and make recommendations.

Option No. 4. Determination of performance using the Cooper test

The Cooper test consists of running the maximum possible distance on level ground (stadium) in 12 minutes. If signs of fatigue occur (severe shortness of breath, tachyarrhythmia, dizziness, heart pain, etc.), the test is stopped. The test results correspond to the MOC value determined on the treadmill. The Cooper test can be used when selecting schoolchildren in sections for cyclic sports, during training to assess the state of fitness.

It can be interesting to observe cases when an unfamiliar athlete approaches a coach and asks him to help create a training program for himself for a week, or even worse, for a month in advance. What’s interesting is how the coach undertakes to carry out this task - without even asking physical condition athlete. And frankly, in these cases it becomes a pity for both. The first is because even if they write him a plan, it may be of very little use. And the second, because it shows his professional unsuitability.

In order to achieve any result in any field of activity, it is necessary to firmly understand what exactly we want. And this desire must be real. Then you need to choose ways to achieve it. But for this we need to know the initial state that we want to change. Sport, in this case, is no exception.

Currently, almost every city has medical and physical training clinics where you can carry out functional diagnostics. Based on the results obtained, it is necessary to build the athlete’s training: decide what training load and what intensity to various stages It is better for him to use preparation.

The most accessible and widely used to determine physical performance at present is PWC 170 test. It stands for physical performance at a heart rate of 170 beats per minute. The PWC 170 value corresponds to this power physical activity, which leads to an increase in heart rate to 170 beats/min. A pulse of 170 beats/min corresponds to approximately 87% of its maximum value.

However, for triathlon, as indeed for other endurance sports, the most significant is not the indicator of power that an athlete can develop in the test, but the indicators of the MOC value.

IPC(maximum oxygen consumption) is the amount of oxygen that the body is able to absorb in 1 minute, which is a criterion for aerobic power. This indicator is the factor that limits our performance. Since the mechanism of this process is the absorption of oxygen from the environment, its delivery to the organs and the consumption of oxygen by the organs themselves (mainly skeletal muscles), the MIC depends mainly on two factors: the function of the oxygen transport system and the ability of skeletal muscles to absorb incoming oxygen. In turn, the oxygen transport system includes the external respiration system, the blood system and the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the connection between the MIC indicator and the state of the body is obvious.

To determine the MIC by the indirect method, the PWC 170 test is most often used. The formula for calculating the MIC when using it is as follows:

IPC=(1.7 x PWC 170+ 1240) / weight (kg).

In practice, to determine the MIC, a gas analyzer is used, with the help of which this indicator is determined in a direct way. If such equipment is not available, then you can conduct the Conconi test, in which the subject with a heart rate monitor runs 200-meter segments without stopping, each 2 seconds faster than the previous one. The run begins with a very slow start and runs 2400 - 3200 meters depending on fitness (about 16 heart rate measurements are taken in total). The speed over 200 meter segments is converted into km/h using the following formula: v=720/t (t=time during the segment). Based on the measurement results, a graph is constructed on which the pulse is plotted vertically and the speed in km/h horizontally. The refraction point of the graph (called the “deflection point”) gives the running speed when reaching anaerobic threshold. The accuracy of testing is affected by measurement errors (for amateurs this is about 5%), but it becomes easier if a computer is used to perform it. There are computer programs that allow automatic analysis of test results. It should be noted that in approximately 15% of athletes the “Conconi effect” may not occur.

The limit to which it is possible to develop BMD depends mainly on the increase in the pumping capacity of the heart, and this, in turn, is strongly influenced by genetic factors. Based on this, it can be assumed that athletes with very low level IPCs are unlikely to excel in endurance sports such as triathlon. However, on the other hand, MOC is a classic indicator of endurance; it does not reflect the anaerobic abilities of the body and therefore cannot serve as the only indicator of physical performance. This is especially true for high-level athletes, who, along with a high level of MOC, also need to have a high level of anaerobic performance. Height sports results at the level of higher sportsmanship occurs in parallel with an increase in the anaerobic threshold, the value of which is determined by muscle factors, and not by the increase in MPC.