SPIROERGOMETRY TESTS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS TERMINATED AT MEDICAL INDICATIONS
Authors: Angelova Penka , Kanalev Kostadin , Boyadjiev Nikolay , Grancharov Stefan 
Published: December 2021

Football is a functional sport requires speed, endurance, combinability and many others specific skills. In order to evaluate physical condition of professional football players different medical, sports and pedagogical, and functional tests are applied. Tests with loading are used for assessment of physical working capacity and the adaptation to physical loading. Spiroergometry tests give additional information about the condition of cardiovascular system and the aerobic capacity of the sportsmen.The aim of the study was to analyze results from spiroergometry tests of professional soccer players in Bulgaria.A group of 26 healthy professional soccer players, age 18-25 years, voluntary underwent spiroergometry test with veloergometer, with stepwise incremental physical loading on system AT-104 (Schiller, Switzerland). During investigation the heat rate (b. p. m.), levels of the systolic and the diastolic arterial blood pressure (mmHg), oxygen consumption (VO2, l/min), the volume of exhaled carbon dioxide (VCO2, l/min), and other functional indices were monitored. After the termination of each test the subject remains on the veloergometer for five minutes with 10% of the peak loading in order to recover the heart rate, levels of the arterial blood pressure, breathing rate etc. The anaerobic threshold (AT, calculated by VE/VCO2 slope method) and the heart rate recovery after physical loading were terminaed using software. The results of the tests were divided in two groups – the test was terminaed at the subject’s request (N, 15 tests), and test terminated at hypertonic blood pressure reaction (HR, 8 tests). Three tests were terminated at other medical indications. Results were presented as X±SD. An independent samples t test was used (SPSS, v. 13).Surprising 42% of the tests in present study were terminated at medical indications. The major reason for medical termination of the test was hypertonic blood pressure reaction - 72%. There were no differences in the body mass index between the groups. The loading at the range of the AT, heart rate at AT and blood pressure at the level of the AT between the groups were without significant differences. The recovery period was normal in both groups. VO2, the heart rate, levels of the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure at the different levels of physical loading were similar in group N and HR. We found out lower age of group N as compared with group HR (20.36±1.63 vs. 22.63±4.37 years, P<0.05), and higher maximal levels of the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure in HR (P<0.05).Regardless of the good physical condition of the professional soccer players 42% of the tests in the study were terminated at medical indications. Despite the little difference in the age between the groups it was significant. The basic functional indices were similar in each step of physical loading. Diseases were not found in the participants. Results of our study confirm necessary of applying functional tests. The data pay attention at the influence of the age and quality medical care in professional sport.