Original articles  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2003 December;43(4):475-80

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Effect of tropical climate on performance during repeated jump-and-reach tests

Hue O., Coman F., Blonc S., Hertogh C.

ACTE Laboratory, UFR-STAPS, University of the Antilles et de la Guyane, Campus de Fouillole, Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe (FWI)

Aim. The aim of the ­present ­study was to deter­mine the ­effect of trop­ical cli­mate (i.e., hot and ­humid) on per­for­mance ­during mul­tiple ­jump-and-­reach ­tests.
­Methods. Four­teen ­male bas­ket­ball ­players vol­un­teered to per­form 2 ran­dom­ized ­series of ­jump-and-­reach ­tests, ­which con­sisted of a ­jump-and-­reach ­test ­every 15 sec for 5 min (21 ­jump-and-­reach ­tests) in two ­thermal con­di­tions: trop­ical (TR, 30.4 °C, 70% rh) and ther­mo­neu­tral (TN, 23.1°C, 53% rh). ­During ­each ­test, lac­tate con­cen­tra­tion [La-], tym­panic tem­per­a­ture (Tty), ­sweat ­rate (SR), ­heart ­rate (HR), and per­for­mance (­height: H) ­were ­noted at ­rest, ­during exer­cise and ­recovery. Two ­hours of ­recovery sep­ar­ated the TN and TR ­tests.
­Results. ­There ­were no sig­nif­i­cant dif­fer­ences in ­mean ­height, max­imal ­height or the ­kinetics ­between TN and TR. ­Both con­di­tions ­induced an ­increase in ­height ­over ­time (­time ­effect: p<0.002). ­There ­were no sig­nif­i­cant dif­fer­ences in [La-] at ­rest or ­during exer­cise or ­recovery in the 2 con­di­tions. ­Both con­di­tions ­induced an ­increase in [La-] (­time ­effect: p<0.002). ­There was a ten­dency ­toward a ­higher ­mean [La-] ­during TR ­than TN (sit­u­a­tion ­effect, p<0.07). How­ever, com­pared to ­resting ­values, [La-] ­values ­were sig­nif­i­cantly ­increased ­only in TR and not in TN. Tty, was sig­nif­i­cantly ­greater (p<0.001) at ­rest and ­during exer­cise and ­recovery in TR ­than in TN. SR and HR ­were ­also sig­nif­i­cantly ­greater at ­rest and ­during exer­cise and ­recovery in TR (p<0.001 for SR and HR).
Con­clu­sion. We con­clude ­that trop­ical cli­mate ­affects phys­io­log­ical ­responses ­without ­improving or ­decreasing per­for­mance ­during suc­ces­sive ­jump ­tests.