Heart rate responses of women aged 23–67 years during competitive orienteering

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the heart rate responses of women orienteers of different standards and to assess any relation between heart rate responses and age. Methods: Eighteen competitive women orienteers completed the study. They were divided into two groups: eight national standard orienteers (ages 23-67 years); 10 club standard orienteers (ages 24-67 years). Each participant had her heart rate monitored during a race recognised by the British Orienteering Federation. Peak heart rate (HR PEAK ), mean heart rate (HR MEAN ), standard deviation of her heart rate during each orienteering race (HR SD ), and mean change in heart rate at each control point (∆HR CONTROL ) were identified. The data were analysed using analysis of covariance with age as a covariate. Results: National standard orienteers displayed a lower within orienteering race standard deviation in heart rate (6 (2) v 12 (2) beats/min, p<0.001) and a lower ∆HR CONTROL (5 (1) v 17 (4) beats/min, p<0.001). The mean heart rate during competition was higher in the national standard group (170 (11) v 158 (11) beats/min, p = 0.025). The HR MEAN for the national and club standard groups were 99 (8)% and 88 (9)% of their age predicted maximum heart rate (220−age) respectively. All orienteers aged >55 years (n = 4) recorded HR MEAN greater than their age predicted maximum. Conclusions:The heart rate responses indicate that national and club standard women orienteers of all ages participate in the sport at a vigorous intensity. The higher ∆HR CONTROL of club standard orienteers is probably due to failing to plan ahead before arriving at the controls and this, coupled with slowing down to navigate or relocate when lost, produced a higher HR SD . P revious research into the physiological demands of women's orienteering has primarily focused on elite level orienteers aged 21-35 years. The high level of fitness required at an elite level is reflected in the maximum aerobic power of women from the Danish (59.1 ml/kg/min) 1 and Norwegian (66.4 ml/kg/min) 2 national teams, and research into the physiological demands of the sport has recorded mean blood lactate levels of 3.4 mmol/l for women of the Norwegian national team during simulated orienteering races. 2Heart rate monitoring during competitive orienteering races has indicated mean heart rates of 172 beats/min for elite British Women 3 and 179 beats/min for members of the Norwegian women's national team.2 According to Creagh and Reilly, 3 these values are similar to those observed during marathon running, but the variability in heart rate is much greater. For example, the standard deviation in heart rate for elite women within an orienteering race are generally reported to be in the region of 10 beats/min. Masters age categories for orienteering increase in five year increments from the age of 35 years, thereby providing an age related competitive structure at local, regional, national, and international orienteering races up to and including 90+ years. According to the International Orienteering Federation, 5 over ...

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