Effects of dominant somatotype on aerobic capacity trainability

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the association between dominant somatotype and the effect on aerobic capacity variables of individualised aerobic interval training. Methods: Forty one white North African subjects (age 21.4¡1.3 years; V o 2max = 52.8¡5.7 ml kg 21 min 21 ) performed three exercise tests 1 week apart (i) an incremental test on a cycle ergometer to determine V o 2max and V o 2 at the second ventilatory threshold (VT2); (ii) a VAM-EVAL track test to determine maximal aerobic speed (vV o 2max ); and (iii) an exhaustive constant velocity test to determine time limit performed at 100% vV o 2max (tlim100). Subjects were divided into four somatometric groups: endomorphs-mesomorphs (Endo-meso; n = 9), mesomorphs (Meso; n = 11), mesomorphs-ectomorphs (Meso-ecto; n = 12), and ectomorphs (Ecto; n = 9). Subjects followed a 12 week training program (two sessions/week). Each endurance training session consisted of the maximal number of successive fractions for each subject. Each fraction consisted of one period of exercise at 100% of vV o 2max and one of active recovery at 60% of vV o 2max . The duration of each period was equal to half the individual tlim100 duration (153.6¡39.7 s). After the training program, all subjects were re-evaluated for comparison with pre-test results.Results: Pre-and post-training data were grouped by dominant somatotype. Two way ANOVA revealed significant somatotype-aerobic training interaction effects (p,0.001) for improvements in vV o 2max , V o 2max expressed classically and according to allometric scaling, and V o 2 at VT2. There were significant differences among groups post-training: the Meso-ecto and the Meso groups showed the greatest improvements in aerobic capacity. Conclusion: The significant somatotype-aerobic training interaction suggests different trainability with intermittent and individualised aerobic training according to somatotype.T here is great interest in systematically studying the factors that can influence fitness development for better sporting performance.1 Most available methods of measuring endurance training efficacy use maximal oxygen uptake (Vo 2max ) as the main outcome variable. However, it has been shown that Vo 2max is not the only indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness for endurance events.1 Vo 2max must be associated with other factors such as ventilatory threshold (VT), velocity at Vo 2max , and exercise economy to explain differences in endurance performance. 2Several studies relating to the effect of interval training on aerobic fitness indicate that cardiorespiratory adaptation depends mainly on the initial fitness level of the subjects, the training intensity, the frequency of training sessions, and the duration of the training sessions and programs.3 Genetic factors explain part of the variability in adaptation to a given training program and should be considered. 4 The contribution of morphological factors, such as somatotype, to athletic performance has also been studied. Indeed, anthropological studies of Olympic athletes characterised th...

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