INTRODUCTION: The force and power generation capacities of the lower limb muscles are improved by speed skating training in speed skaters (Nemoto et al. 1990, de Koning et al. 1991). There are differences in aerobic and anaerobic power output between short-distance and middle- to long-distance skating (de Koning et al. 2005). On the other hand, there is little knowledge about the age-related differences in such physical fitness characteristics in speed skaters. Especially, there is very little knowledge about the difference between senior athletes and junior skaters regarding maximal and sub-maximal power generation capacity among top athletes. This study therefore evaluated the maximal and sub-maximal power generation capacity and physiological responses of senior and junior Japanese internationally competitive speed skaters. METHODS: Participants were Japanese female all-round speed skaters. They were divided into two groups according to age category: senior skaters (SS; 19 years old and over) and junior skaters (JS; 18 years old or younger). Their maximal and sub-maximal power generation capacity was evaluated by incremental bicycle pedaling tests. The subjects gradually increased the power output from 40w by 20w every minute and recorded the time to exhaustion and the maximum power. And, Oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were continuously measured. The aerobic threshold (AT) was calculated from the regression equation of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide emission, and the power at AT (P@AT) were calculated. RESULTS: The power at all-out was significantly higher in SS skaters than in JS skaters. In addition, SS skaters had significantly higher VO2max per body weight than JS skaters. On the other hand, P@AT did not show a significant difference between the SS and JS skaters. CONCLUSION: From these results, it became clear that senior speed skaters have superior maximum power output to junior skaters. It can be inferred that such a difference in maximum athletic performance is caused by the enhancement of high-quality high-intensity training conducted after the junior period.
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