Changes in physical endurance Performance during a holiday an the North Sea coast

Author(s): Stick, C.

Journal/Book: Physikalische Medizin Rehabilitationsmedizin Kurortmedizin. 1993; 3/5:

Abstract: Objective: The effect of a three-week stay by the seaside an the physical fitness of vacationers was evaluated in this study.Subject: 20 volunteers (8 women, 12 men) aged between 20 and 60 years, who were spending their vacation an the North Sea island of Sylt, were included in the study.Design: The subjects were tested an a bicycle ergometer at a work load of 1 W/kg body weight and a pedalling rate of 50 rpm. Identical tests were performed twice: At the beginning and at the end of the holiday. While the subjects exercised for 8 min their heart rate and blood pressure were measured every minute. Serum-lactate-concentration was determined at rest and at the end of the ergometer exercise.Results: Statistically significant decreases of maximum heart rates under effort from x = 133 min -1 (SEM 3.7) at the beginning to x = 125 min-1 (SEM 3.0) at the end of the holiday were found. During recovery from exercise, the heart rate was significantly lower at the end of the holiday. The lactate-concentration after 8 min of exercise reached an average of 2.9 mmol - 1-1 (SEM 0.3) at the beginning of the holiday. The corresponding value of the second test was only 2.1 mmol -1-1 (SEM 0.2). The difference was significant at the 0.01 level. With the arm having been cooled in a water bath (water temperature 16.0 °C) the skin temperature decreased to a significant (p < 0.01) lower temperature at the end of the holiday (22.3 °C) than at the beginning (23.0 °C). The initial values prior to the cooling did not differ. Compared to their daily physical activities at the home, the vacationers roughly doubled the time spent an physical activity during their vacation engaging in light work like walking and slow cycling during 9/10 of this time.Conclusion: The results suggest that the endurance performance of sedentary individuals is improved during a three-week holiday at the seaside even without any regular physical training.

Keyword(s): Körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit

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