Anthropometric and physiological basis of endurance capacity in young Indian field hockey players
High endurance capacity, expressed by VO2max, is essential for optimal performance and is influenced by anthropometric and physiological parameters. 30 Indian young national level field-hockey players were studied to evaluate their endurance capacity and associated parameters. VO2max, relative physical work capacity at 170 bpm (rPWC), heart rate recovery (HRR3/6 at 3rd/6th minute), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), resting heart rate (rHR) and blood pressure (rBP), maximum heart rate (HRmax), basal metabolic rate (BMR), demographic and anthropometric parameters were measured and analyzed. After controlling the effect of gender by partial correlation, VO2max correlated significantly and positively with age, BMR, HRmax, HRRs, rPWC and Hb; and negatively with body weight, body fat%, BMI (body mass index), rHR and rBP. Body fat% had the maximum negative effect on endurance capacity. HRR3, rHR and rPWC together contributed a statistically significant 95.2% of the total variance in VO2max. Various linear regression equations were generated for assessing endurance capacity.