Physiological Responses in Male and Female 400m Sprinters

The primary objective of this study was to determine the differences between male and female athletes competing in the 400m running event, in the parameters for the assessment of not only aerobic and anaerobic energy capacity but also other physiological parameters. Trained 400m (14 male and 14 female) track athletes volunteered to take part in this study. All subjects performed an incremental treadmill test (1 km/h speed increase per minute, 1.5 % gradient). The parameters FVC and FEV1S in the male athletes were of higher values than in the female athletes, while there were no significant differences in FEV1S%. A statistically significant difference was found in the parameters for the assessment of aerobic energy capacity in favour of male athletes. Significantly higher values of anaerobic capacity were found in male sprinters (5.7 km/h) compared to female sprinters (4.5 km/h). In other physiological parameters such as HRmax values and HR at VT there were no statistically significant differences. It can be concluded that it is necessary to determine whether there are differences in these parameters between male and female sprinters which will result in a more organized plan for the collective training process. Studies like this can help coaches develop athletes’ performance according to their abilities. Key words: athletes; metabolic differences; ventilation