Aerobic Performance, Anaerobic Performance, Isokinetic Test, Pulmonary Function
Conditions
Keywords
Wrestlers, Pulmonary function, Isokinetic trunk muscle performance, Wingate test, VO2max, Spirometry
Brief summary
This study aims to investigate the relationships among pulmonary function, aerobic performance, anaerobic performance, and isokinetic trunk muscle performance in professional male wrestlers. Wrestling requires a combination of high muscular strength, repeated high-intensity efforts, aerobic capacity, anaerobic performance, and effective trunk muscle function. However, the relationships among these physiological and muscular performance characteristics have not been fully established in professional wrestlers. This single-center, analytical, cross-sectional observational study will include approximately 28 professional male wrestlers aged 18-35 years who have been actively participating in licensed wrestling for at least 5 years and who meet the predefined eligibility criteria. Participants will undergo anthropometric assessment, pulmonary function testing by spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise testing with respiratory gas analysis, Wingate anaerobic testing, and isokinetic assessment of trunk muscle performance. Pulmonary function parameters will be obtained from spirometry. Aerobic capacity will be evaluated using maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) obtained during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Anaerobic performance will be assessed using the Wingate test, while trunk flexor and extensor muscle performance will be evaluated using isokinetic dynamometry. The study will primarily examine the relationship between pulmonary function parameters and isokinetic trunk muscle performance. Secondary analyses will evaluate the relationships of pulmonary function and trunk muscle performance with VO₂max and Wingate-derived anaerobic performance parameters.
Detailed description
Wrestling is a physically demanding combat sport that requires athletes to perform repeated high-intensity efforts while maintaining strength, power, postural control, and technical performance. The physiological demands of wrestling involve multiple interacting components, including pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, anaerobic performance, and trunk muscle strength and endurance. Trunk musculature plays an important role in maintaining body position, transferring force between the upper and lower extremities, and performing wrestling-specific movements. Pulmonary and cardiovascular capacity may also contribute to the ability to sustain repeated efforts and recover between high-intensity bouts. Despite the importance of these components, the relationships among pulmonary function, aerobic and anaerobic performance, and isokinetic trunk muscle performance in professional wrestlers have not been fully characterized. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between pulmonary function parameters and isokinetic trunk muscle performance in professional male wrestlers. Specifically, the study will examine the associations between pulmonary function parameters obtained from spirometry and the performance of the trunk flexor and extensor muscles assessed using isokinetic dynamometry. The secondary aim is to evaluate the relationships of pulmonary function parameters and isokinetic trunk muscle performance with aerobic and anaerobic performance. Aerobic capacity will be represented by maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) obtained during cardiopulmonary exercise testing with respiratory gas analysis. Anaerobic performance will be evaluated using the Wingate test and its relevant performance parameters. In this way, the study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relationships among pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, anaerobic performance, and trunk muscle performance in professional wrestlers. This is a single-center, analytical, cross-sectional observational study. The study population will consist of professional male wrestlers evaluated at the Department of Sports Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University. Approximately 28 professional male wrestlers who meet the eligibility criteria will be included. Eligible participants will be between 18 and 35 years of age, will have been actively participating in licensed wrestling for at least 5 years, and will be actively competing at the professional level while maintaining a regular training program. Participants will be evaluated after providing written informed consent. No therapeutic intervention or exercise training program will be administered as part of the study. Each participant will undergo anthropometric assessment and a series of physiological and muscular performance evaluations. Participant characteristics, including age, height, body weight, body mass index, wrestling style, weight category, years of licensed wrestling participation, duration of professional athletic participation, weekly training frequency and duration, smoking status, known medical conditions, regular medication use, previous surgical procedures, and recent musculoskeletal injuries will be recorded. Pulmonary function will be assessed using spirometry according to standardized testing procedures. Participants will perform forced respiratory maneuvers after receiving standardized instructions. The pulmonary function parameters obtained from spirometry will include forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC ratio, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), as available from the spirometry assessment. Isokinetic trunk muscle performance will be assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer. Trunk flexion and extension performance will be evaluated at angular velocities of 60°/s and 90°/s within a 0-45° range of motion. Participants will perform maximal trunk flexion and extension contractions according to the predefined testing protocol. Peak torque, body-weight-normalized peak torque, total work, and body-weight-normalized total work values will be recorded for trunk flexion and extension. Aerobic capacity will be evaluated using a cardiopulmonary exercise test performed on a treadmill according to the Bruce protocol. Respiratory gases will be analyzed breath-by-breath using a gas analysis system. Resting heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured before the test. Exercise intensity will be progressively increased according to the selected protocol, and the test will continue until voluntary exhaustion or the occurrence of a clinical indication for termination. The primary variable obtained from the cardiopulmonary exercise test will be maximal oxygen consumption. VO₂max will be recorded when the predefined criteria for maximal oxygen consumption are achieved; otherwise, the highest oxygen consumption reached during the test will be recorded as VO₂peak. Values will be recorded both in absolute terms and relative to body mass. Anaerobic performance will be assessed using the Wingate test. The test will be performed according to the standardized testing procedure used at the study center. Relevant anaerobic performance parameters obtained from the test will be recorded and used in the secondary analyses examining the relationship between anaerobic performance and pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, and isokinetic trunk muscle performance. The collected data will be analyzed to determine the strength and direction of the relationships among the study variables. The primary analysis will focus on the association between pulmonary function parameters and isokinetic trunk muscle performance. Secondary analyses will examine the associations of pulmonary function and isokinetic trunk muscle performance with VO₂max and Wingate-derived anaerobic performance parameters. Because the study has a cross-sectional observational design, the findings will be interpreted as associations between variables and will not establish causal relationships.
Interventions
OTHERNo intervention
No intervention will be administered. Participants will undergo standardized assessments including spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise testing with gas analysis for VO₂max, Wingate anaerobic test, and isokinetic trunk muscle performance testing. These assessments are performed for data collection purposes and do not constitute a therapeutic intervention.
Sponsors
Istanbul University
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male participants aged 18-35 years * At least 5 years of active participation in licensed wrestling * Currently competing at the professional level and following a regular training program * No upper respiratory tract infection within the previous 4 weeks, or no signs of active infection on the day of assessment * Able to safely complete pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, the Wingate test, and isokinetic assessment * Willingness to participate and ability to provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Any chronic respiratory disease, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, or other chronic respiratory system disorders * Any cardiovascular, neurological, or systemic disease that may affect the study measurements * Surgery involving the trunk or spine within the previous 6 months * A musculoskeletal injury within the previous 3 months affecting the lower back, back, or abdominal muscles and resulting in absence from training or competition * Acute low back or back pain at the time of assessment * Any clinical condition that may preclude maximal exercise during cardiopulmonary exercise testing or the Wingate test * Any condition that prevents the participant from safely completing pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, the Wingate test, or isokinetic assessment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk Extension Peak Torque at 60°/s | Baseline | Trunk extension peak torque represents the maximum torque generated by the trunk extensor muscles during isokinetic contraction. It will be assessed using a HUMAC/NORM isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 60°/s and reported in Newton-meters (Nm). |
| Trunk Flexion Total Work at 90°/s | Baseline | Trunk flexion total work represents the cumulative mechanical work performed by the trunk flexor muscles during repeated isokinetic contractions. It will be assessed using a HUMAC/NORM isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 90°/s and reported in Joules (J). |
| Trunk Extension Total Work at 90°/s | Baseline | Trunk extension total work represents the cumulative mechanical work performed by the trunk extensor muscles during repeated isokinetic contractions. It will be assessed using a HUMAC/NORM isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 90°/s and reported in Joules (J). |
| FEV₁/FVC Ratio | Baseline | The FEV₁/FVC ratio represents the proportion of the forced vital capacity exhaled during the first second of forced expiration. It will be assessed by spirometry and reported as a percentage (%), with values ≥70% generally considered within the normal range in adults. |
| Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) | Baseline | Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is the maximum flow rate achieved during a forced expiration following maximal inspiration. It will be assessed by spirometry and reported in liters per second (L/s), with values interpreted according to age, sex, height, and predicted reference values. |
| Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) | Baseline | Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) is the maximum volume of air that can be inhaled and exhaled voluntarily over a specified period of time. It will be assessed by spirometry and reported in liters per minute (L/min), with values approximately 80-120% of the predicted value considered within the normal range. |
| Trunk Flexion Peak Torque at 60°/s | Baseline | Trunk flexion peak torque represents the maximum torque generated by the trunk flexor muscles during isokinetic contraction. It will be assessed using a HUMAC/NORM isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 60°/s and reported in Newton-meters (Nm). |
| Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) | Baseline | Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the maximum volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled after a maximal inspiration. It will be assessed by spirometry and reported in liters (L), with values approximately 80-120% of the predicted value considered within the normal range. |
| Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV₁) | Baseline | Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) is the volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled during the first second following maximal inspiration. It will be assessed by spirometry and reported in liters (L), with values approximately 80-120% of the predicted value considered within the normal range. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO₂max) | Baseline | Maximal aerobic capacity will be assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing performed on a treadmill using the Bruce protocol with breath-by-breath respiratory gas analysis. VO₂max will be determined from the highest oxygen consumption achieved during the test when predefined criteria for maximal effort are met. If these criteria are not met, the highest oxygen consumption value achieved will be recorded as VO₂peak. Values will be recorded as both absolute oxygen consumption (L/min) and relative to body mass (mL/kg/min). |
| Peak Power During the Wingate Anaerobic Test | Baseline | Peak power represents the highest mechanical power output achieved during the Wingate anaerobic test. Anaerobic performance will be assessed using a standardized Wingate test performed on a cycle ergometer. Peak power will be recorded in watts (W). |
| Mean Power During the Wingate Anaerobic Test | Baseline | Mean power represents the average mechanical power output maintained throughout the Wingate anaerobic test. It will be assessed using a standardized Wingate test performed on a cycle ergometer and reported in watts (W). |
| Fatigue Index During the Wingate Anaerobic Test | Baseline | Fatigue index represents the decline in power output during the Wingate anaerobic test and will be calculated from the change between peak and minimum power output during the test. It will be reported as a percentage (%). |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTŞensu DİNÇER, Medical Doctor
Outcome results
None listed