Muscle skin temperature responses for hamstring and quadriceps to aerobic and anaerobic test conditions in Turkish Olympic Sailing Athletes

Abstract

Olympic class sailing is a competitive sport and requires several abilities. An understanding of the responses to aerobic and anaerobic loading will be useful for assessing the training programs, protective strategies and possibility of injuries. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine lower extremity main muscles skin temperature responses to aerobic and anaerobic test conditions in Turkish Olympic Sailing Athletes. Eighteen sailing athletes were assessed during preseasonal assessment period. Temperatures of quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups were evaluated bilaterally during rest and after Wingate Treadmill tests. Wingate test was accepted as an indicator of anaerobic performance and Treadmill test as an aerobic performance. Infrared thermography was performed to assess the skin temperature at anterior and posterior parts of thigh for both legs. In the triplicate comparison, the temperature changes between the rest, aerobic test and anaerobic test conditions were significant (p<0.05). In the analysis to determine the difference between the compared groups; for both muscle groups, temperature change after anaerobic performance was not significant; in contrast to this result the change in muscle temperature after aerobic performance was significant (p<0.05). Energeticmetabolic activity of major muscle groups of lower extremities during aerobic and anaerobic performance are important for injury prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and return to play. Present study shows that aerobic performance or activities requires higher energetic-metabolic activity.