Respiratory Function Recovery Dynamics in High-Level Vietnamese Athletes from Diverse Sports: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study explored how well high-level Vietnamese athletes from various sports recover their breathing function after intense exercise. Athletes from track and field, table tennis, pencak silat and shooting participated. A special machine (Kostex Metamax 3B) measured their breathing before exercise, after warm-up, during exercise, and 10 minutes after. Track and field and pencak silat athletes had the strongest breathing function overall. Warming up significantly improved everyone's ability to recover their breathing function after exercise. Again, track and field and pencak silat athletes showed the most significant gains. During exercise itself, most breathing measurements stayed relatively stable. Within 10 minutes of finishing exercise, most athletes' breathing recovered to pre-exercise levels for oxygen intake (VO2) and carbon dioxide output (CVO2). In some cases, these values even improved slightly compared to after warm-up, suggesting a potential benefit from exercise. There were no significant differences between the sports in terms of VO2 and CVO2 recovery across the four time points. Overall, the study suggests that Vietnamese athletes have a good ability to recover their breathing function after exercise. Warming up is crucial for preparing their respiratory system for intense activity. The body adjusts its breathing during exercise to meet the increased oxygen demand. Recovery seems to be relatively quick, with some aspects of breathing even showing slight improvement shortly after exercise. Athletes in track and field and pencak silat displayed the most robust respiratory function throughout the study. Investigate how different training programs affect breathing function development in specific sports. Analyse the recovery process in more detail, following athletes for a longer period after exercise. Compare these results with data from international athletes to see how Vietnamese athletes measure up on a global scale.