PURPOSE: To compare the oxygen-uptake (V.O2) kinetics during skating on a treadmill and skating on a slide board and to discuss potential mechanisms that might control the (V.O2) kinetics responses during skating. METHODS: Breath-by-breath pulmonary [Formula: see text] and near-infrared spectroscopy-derived muscle deoxygenated hemoglobin and myoglobin ([HHbMb]) were monitored continuously in 12 well-trained, young, long-track speed skaters. On-transient (V.O2) and [HHbMb] responses to skating on a treadmill and skating on a slide board at 80% of the estimated gas exchange threshold were fitted as monoexponential function. The signals were time-aligned, and the individual [HHbMb]-to-[Formula: see text] ratio was calculated as the average value from 20 to 120 s after exercise starts. RESULTS: The time constants for the adjustment of phase II (V.O2) (t V.O2) and [HHbMb] (t [HHbMb]) were low and similar between slide board and treadmill skating (18.1 [3.4] vs 18.9 [3.6] for t (V.O2) and 12.6 [4.0] vs 12.4 [4.0] s for t [HHbMb]). The V.O2 ratio was not different from 1.0 (P>.05) in both conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The fast [Formula: see text] kinetics during skating suggest that chronic adaptation to skating might overcome any possible restriction in leg blood flow during low-intensity exercise. The V.O2 ratio values also suggest a good matching of O2 delivery to O2 utilization in trained speed skaters. The similar t V.O2 and t [HHbMb] values between slide board and treadmill further reinforce the validity of using a slide board for skating testing and training purposes.
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