Adaptation of Athletes to Middle Altitude Conditions Via the Intensive Development of Local Regional Muscular Endurance and Strength Motor Capability, Stretching, and Relaxation
IntroductionAltitude training is an inherent component of the modern sport training process, especially for cyclic sports where athletes have to compete both on short and long distances. The increased hypoxic stress related to the altitude facilitates the main physiological reactions in the athlete's body which may lead to effective adaptation and better sport performance at the plain or in the lower middle altitude. However, athletes are at a high risk of exposure to the negative effects related to hypoxia. Decrease in immunity, sleep disorder, and weight loss associated with loads and dehydration may affect sport performance.Influence of the mountain climate on the effectiveness of adaptation and sport performance is admitted by many scientists (Suslov, 2001; Kolchinskaya et al. 2003; Platonov, 2005; Potapov Maleev, 2016) There are aggregate data concerning the problem under consideration and indicating the decrease of maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) with increase of altitude (Shevchenko et al. 2000; Kolchinskaya et al. 2003; Isaev Erlikh, 2013; Erlikh, 2016) Meerson et al. (1992) based on the complex studies concludes that the adaptation of healthy untrained people to the periodic hypoxia in the hyperbaric chamber increases the tolerance to physical loads. This result is obtained with less functional exert of the heart as compared to the pre adaptation period. The athlete's body is very responsive to the hypoxic changes related to the strenuous motor activity. Athletes' ability to maintain high adaptability for many years or even decades depends on the gene pool, biological reliability of the body, frequency of harmful exposure including hypoxia, optimal restoration periods, and compensatory rehabilitation of the body. Another important factor is well timed application of advanced means of recovery and rehabilitation in sports. Topical issues include the problem of distribution of influence of environmental factors on sport performance and the scope of their effects. The leading factor is customized muscular and psychophysiological load that does not deplete the resources of the body and results in effective adaptation. The next factor is customized, balanced, functional nutrition that is adequate to energy expenditure and considers auxologic pattern of the body; such nutrition should be combined with appropriate natural factors of restoration processes as well as physiological support of the body. The supplementary factors include the one of middlealtitude which is a harmonious part of sport training system influencing sport performance. However without studying the cost of adaptation and related factors it is hardly possible to suggest that mountain adaptation makes Olympic champions out of athletes..Material methodsOur research was based on the hypothesis that application of new technologies of sport training under the conditions of effective mountain adaptation will eliminate the lagging in racing sports: ski racing (women) biathlon, and track and field.The aim of the research was to justify the impact of progressive technologies influencing the short term reactions and effective long term adaptation during the basic and contest periods of training.ParticipantsThe research involved 30 volunteers, aged 19 23, who had agreed to submit to a fasting blood test (cubital vein) 15 of the volunteers were highly skilled skiers, and 15 were highly skilled medium distance runners.ProcedureThe basic period engaged the focused development of local regional muscular endurance (LRME; up to 50 It was followed by transfer of training means via interference of physical qualities to motor skills combined with special motor actions (MA) stretching, and relaxation. There was also a number of lab tests to study the processes of free radical oxidation (FRO) antioxidant protection system, assessment of cortisol levels, protein synthesis, spectral analysis of blood flow, system analysis of multifunctional state of the body, and postural indicators.