Herramientas y protocolos para la valoración y programación del entrenamiento en atletas de medio y alto nivel

Laburpena

ABSTRACT This Doctoral Thesis has been designed on the basis of two descriptive studies (Study I and II) interrelated each other. The main objective of the first half of this manuscript was to design tools and procedures that allow trainers to detect the main physiological milestones of the aerobic-anaerobic transition, in an individual, simple and affordable way. In addition, alternative tests were proposed that would allow faithful estimations of decisive parameters of cardiorespiratory performance in runners such as maximum aerobic speed and maximum oxygen consumption, all this under the assumption that it would be in the most accessible way for coaches and sportsmen. using few human and material resources and at a low cost, but without losing quality in the measurements. Thus, it has been confirmed that individualized GXT protocols based on individuals' MAS were solid to determine both maximal and submaximal physiological parameters. Lactate threshold tests can be a valid and reliable alternative to VT and MLSS to identify the workloads at the transition from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism in well-trained runners. Another of the main contributions of this project is the inclusion of the Vpeak as a powerful predictor of MAS. In the second part of the manuscript we find two articles related to running power, a new training programming variable widely studied in cycling and which is beginning to have more importance in the field of running. Therefore, the aim of these two papers is to analyze the quality of the measurement of five new commercial devices that estimate the running power when by manipulating the main variables that condition the result of the mechanical work (weight, slope, speed) and environment (Indoor vs. Outdoor). To this end, a reproducibility analysis (test-retest) has been carried out, also the concurrent validity through the relationship between each technology PW and oxygen uptake (VO2) was exanimated, as well as a study of the agreement between the records obtained by each of these new technologies and the main mathematical models of running power prediction published to date. The main results revealed that StrydApp and StrydWatch devices obtained the highest reproducibility for each of the environments and conditions studied. In addition, these same technologies obtained the best concurrent validity with VO2. Another aspect to highlight is the close relationship observed between Stryd and PolarV technologies with the mathematical models TPW1 and TPW2, suggesting that they are the most sensitive, among those analyzed. Therefore, Stryd can be considered as the most recommended tool among those analyzed for Pw measurement, and we encourage athletes and coaches start to use those technologies in training loads monitorization and prescription.