AGE-RELATED CHANGES AND GENDER DIFFERENCES OF UPPER BODY ANAEROBIC PERFORMANCE IN MALE AND FEMALE SPRINT KAYAKERS

The aim of the study was to examine whether young female kayakers performing intense training of the upper extremities could significantly increase upper body anaerobic performance with age and training, diminishing in that way gender differences. Totally, 264 male and 195 female athletes participated in the survey. All subjects were sprint kayakers representing elite athletes for their specific age groups and undergo long lasting training, supervised by Polish Canoe Federation. They were grouped by sex and age. The subjects performed 40-s all- out exercise in upright position, by upper extremities, on modified Monark cycloergometer. Total work performed (Wtot), peak power (PP) and rate of decrease in relative peak power (PD) was measured. Lactate (LA) concentration in capillary blood was measured after 4 min of cessation of the exercise. Wtot, PP, and PD showed significant differences between men and women. In women, indices of anaerobic performance did not increased significantly beginning from the age of 19 years. In men, the development of anaerobic performance with age and training was more diverse. Rate of decrease in PD significantly increased in male and female kayakers for the groups of 13, 14 and 15 years old. PD correlated well with PP (W·kgBM -1 ) in male (r=0.806, p<0.001) as well as in female kayakers (r=0.722, p<0.001). Post-exercise LA concentration was significantly higher in male than in female (13.9±2.2 mmoll -1 and 11.0±2.0, p<0.001). It was concluded that upper body anaerobic performance increased with age and training in both male and female kayakers at least up to the end of second decade of life. There are significant gender differences in relative indices of anaerobic performance despite of age and training. (Biol.Sport 26:325-338, 2009)