Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to compare oxygen uptake kinetics, ventilatory threshold of young soccer players according to playing position and to determine relationship between oxygen uptake kinetics and ventilatory threshold of young soccer players. Twenty-three young soccer players joined to study voluntarily (n=23; age: 19.8±0.4 years, body height: 179.4±7.2 cm., body mass: 74.2±7.4 kg., VO2max: 59.7±8 ml/kg/min.). The players were categorized according to playing positions. The VO2max, ventilatory threshold were determined by incremental treadmill test. Then, treadmill test at running velocity determined VO2max was performed and oxygen uptake kinetics were identified by mono-exponentinal model. The time to achieve 95% of VO2max, spending time at VO2max were accepted as oxygen uptake kinetics. The correlation among time to achieve 95% of VO2max, spending time at VO2max and ventilatory threshold values of young soccer were determined by correlation anlyze and differences according to playing positions were identified by one-way analysis of variance. It was determined significiant negative correlation between time to achieve 95% of VO2max and spending time at VO2max (r=-0.526, p<0.05). The no significiant difference among playing positions was found without time to achieve 95% of VO2max. The centerbacks had higher time to achieve 95% of VO2max values than goalkeepers (p<0.05) but no significiant difference among other playing positions was found (p>0.05). Consequently, it could be said that reaching to steady-state level early during exercise could shorten time to achieve 95% of VO2max and increase spending time at VO2max.

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