Telemetered cardiac response to selected running events.

Abstract

By means of radiotelemetry the cardiac response prior to, during, and in recovery from selected track events was determined in 18 male varsity trackmen and 4 untrained subjects. The track events studied were the 60-yard, 220-yard, 440-yard, 880-yard, 1-mile, and 2-mile runs. In trained runners the heart rate immediately preceding the start of the race was highest in the 60-yard dash and successively lower in events of longer distance. This anticipatory increase in heart rate represented 74 % of the total heart rate adjustment to exercise in the 60-yard dash and 33% in the 2-mile run. The heart rate increased rapidly during the initial stages of each race with the heart rate reaching approximately 180 beats within 28 sec. during the 1-mile and 2-mile runs and within 10 sec. in the 220-yard run. Heart rate pattern during the race and in recovery was similar in the untrained group. Significantly higher peak heart rates were elicited in events of longer distance. There were no significant differences in maximum heart rates of trained and untrained. Recovery from the 60-yard dash was significantly more rapid than from any of the longer distances. No significant differences were demonstrated in recovery pattern of the 220-yard, 440-yard, 880-yard, 1-mile, and 2-mile runs.