Dr.Med., Professor O.S. Kogan¹
Dr.Sc.Hist., Professor S.D. Galiullina¹
PhD, Associate Professor D.I. Gerasimova¹
E.A. Safina¹
Master student A.R. Nurgaliev^1
1Ufa State Petroleum Technological University, Ufa

Keywords: functionality, adaptability, fatigue, stress tolerance, physical working capacity, anxiety, emotional stress, mode amplitude, stress index (SI)

Background. Functional regresses in any aspect are known to trigger physical and mental performance inefficiencies since motor skills and mental controls largely depend on the functional aspects in any service field, including modern elite sports [6]. Elite athletes upon retirement from sports with radical changes in the lifestyles and careers are known to go through difficult adaptation period, with success of the transition largely determined by the individual mental controls, functionality and physical health on the whole. Of special research interest in the post-retirement period are the social and functional adaptability issues of the former elite athletes [1].

Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the post-retirement functionality, adaptability and stress tolerance of elite athletes turned coaches.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study elite athletes turned coaches for Experimental Group (EG, n=30) and mid-class coaches for Reference Group (RG, n=30). We used the Karpman version of the cycle ergometer PWC170 (Physical Working Capacity) test with analyses of the physical working capacity versus power range with the heart rate maintained at 170 beats per min [3].

Results and discussion. Physical working capacity rates yielded by the Kapman version of PWC170 test were interpreted as indicative of the cardio-respiratory system functionality with the individual weight-class differences balanced by the specific physical working capacity to body mass ratios. Note that the untrained healthy males are normally tested with physical working capacity varying around 14.4 kgm/ min/ kg.

The nervous and cardiovascular system adaptability was rated by the mode amplitude and heart rate stress index on the A.G. Bayevsky scale with its good, low, poor and failed adaptation classes. The age-specific EG versus RG adaptation test rates were classified versus the cardiointervalography benchmarks on the A.G. Bayevsky scale [2]. The EG physical working capacity was tested at 15.4±1.4 kgm/ min/ kg i.e. slightly higher than the 14.4 kgm/ min/ kg benchmark for untrained individuals, albeit this and the intergroup (EG vs. RG) difference was found insignificant. Note that the EG vs. RG adaptation test rates were benchmarked versus the 26-40 year-old group standards: see Table 1.

Table 1. Healthy 26-40 year old male adaptation classes on the A.G. Bayevsky scale

The pre-workday mode amplitude in the EG was tested good, whilst the stress index was slightly under the good standard (108.1±12.9 versus 112±22); versus the RG test rates that were good on both scales. The post-workday mode amplitude and stress index rates were found good and low in the RG and EG, respectively: see Table 2.

Table 2. Group pre- versus post-workday adaptation test rates

Furthermore, the pre- and post-workday group fatigue was tested by the proofreading, tapping and simple visual motor response tests [5]. The group adaptability rates and some mental controls were tested by the anxiety, fatigue and stress tolerance tests from the Luscher Color test, Cattell 16 Personality Factor test and Ehlers Questionnaire Survey toolkits [4].

Cognitive/ thinking performance regresses due to overstresses of any etiology may be fairly well tested by the standard proofreading test. The test found insignificant intergroup differences in the error rates and test times and no excessive fatigue in the group pre- versus post-workday tests. The only significant difference was found in the RG pre- versus post-workday proofreading test rates: see Table 3.

Table 3. Fatigue rating proofreading test rates, М±m

Note:  *statistically significant: p<0.05

Service motivations in two aspects were tested and classified as poor (1-10 points), low (11-16 points), good (17-20 points) and excellent (21-32 points). Mental control and personality factors were rated by the Luscher Color Test and Cattell Test  and classified as poor (1-3 points), low (4 points), moderate (5-6 points), good (7 points) and high (8-10 points). Thus the age-specific Luscher Color Test of the EG and RG found insignificant intergroup differences on the anxiety level and aggression scales (with the EG being in the higher range) and some physical working capacity growth: see Table 4.

Table 4. Group mental control and physical working capacity test rates, STEN scores, M±m

The Ehlers Questionnaire Survey tested the EG with the higher (albeit significantly different) success motivations versus the failure avoidance motivations: see Table 5. Note that the intergroup differences on both motivation scales were insignificant as well.

Table 5. Group motivations rated by the Ehlers Questionnaire Survey, М±m

Conclusion. The elite athletes turned coaches were tested with fairly good health standards and functional and social adaptabilities to the new lifestyles and careers in the post-retirement periods; albeit some mental controls and physiology tests were indicative of their relatively lower stress tolerance as verified by the somewhat higher (although insignificantly different) anxiety and emotional stress test rates versus the RG.

References

1. Alekseev S.V., Krasheninnikov V.V. [ed.] Sports law of Russia. Legal bases of physical education and sports. Moscow: UNITY – DANA; Zakon i parvo publ., 2005. 671 p.
2. Bayevskiy R.M., Kirilov O.I., Kletskin S.Z. Mathematical analysis of heart rate under stress. Moscow, 1984. 221 p.
3. Karpman V.L., Belotserkovskiy Z.B., Gudkov I.A. Testing in sports medicine. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 1988. 208 p.
4. Practical psychodiagnostics. Techniques and tests. Samara: BAKHRAKH – M publ., 2004. 672 p.
5. Sivakova N.N. Prenosological diagnostics methods to estimate human health. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2002. No. 9. pp. 8-11.
6. Surkov E.N. Athlete psychomotor skills. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 1984. 126 p.

Corresponding author: oskogan@mail.ru

Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the post-retirement functionality, adaptability and stress tolerance of elite athletes turned coaches.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study elite athletes turned coaches for Experimental Group (EG, n=30) and mid-class coaches for Reference Group (RG, n=30). We used the Karpman version of the cycle ergometer PWC170 (Physical Working Capacity) test with analyses of the physical working capacity versus power range with the heart rate maintained at 170 beats per min.

The adaptive capabilities of the nervous and cardiovascular systems were assessed based on the values of the mode amplitude (AMo) and index of tension of the heart rate on the scale of A.G. Bayevsky. The efficiency of adaptation, as well as several psychological characteristics of the participants of the experiment, indicating the levels of anxiety, fatigue, stress tolerance, were determined using the standard methods: Luscher test, Kettell questionnaire, Ehlers questionnaire.

Results of the study and conclusions. The elite athletes turned coaches were tested with fairly good health standards and functional and social adaptabilities to the new lifestyles and careers in the post-retirement periods; albeit some mental controls and physiology tests were indicative of their relatively lower stress tolerance as verified by the somewhat higher (although insignificantly different) anxiety and emotional stress test rates versus the RG.