The purpose of this investigation was to study the effect of specific training on cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses in sixteen male professional soccer players, aged 24.2 ± 3.6 years old. They were evaluated before and after fifteen weeks of specific training. All subjects were submitted to an exercise test on treadmill, using Ellestad's protocol. The heart rate was recorded by means of ECG, and the arterial blood pressure by auscultatory measurement. Oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, and pulmonary ventilation were measured by a Measurement Metabolic Cart (Beckman). Maximum anaerobic capacity was evaluated by blood lactate concentration, using an automated analyzer. Specific training did not modify the maximum heart rate (192 ± 8 vs. 186 ± 6 beats.min_1) and the maximum systolic blood pressure (196 ± 10 vs. 198 ± 8 mmHg). Maximum respiratory ventilation was significantly increased by specific training (129 ± 19 vs. 140 ± 16 L.min_1), whereas maximum aerobic capacity was not significantly increased (50 ± 6 vs. 53 ± 5 ml.kg._1 min_1 ofO2). On the other hand, maximum aerobic capacity improved significantly (8.3 ± 0.2 vs. 9.8 ± 2.4 mmol.L_1). Conclusion: 1) the specific training used in the present study did not modify heart rate and arterial blood pressure responses at rest and during maximum exercises; 2) improvement of maximum pulmonary ventilation and higher lactic acid concentrations during maximum exercise showed that the exercise training used in this study was predominantly characterized by intense exercise, and 3) specific training was not an adequate stimulus to improve maximum aerobic capacity of the soccer players.
Exercise training; Aerobic capacity; Anaerobic capacity; Heart rate; Blood pressure; Professional soccer player; Sports medicine
