Metabolic and structural analysis of table tennis

Abstract

Table tennis is a technically complex game with high physical and physiological efforts. Coordinated high speed technical-tactical actions take place during competitions inducing continuous direction changes. The aim of this study was to analyze the metabolic parameters and the game structure of modern table tennis. A sample of 10 male players (age = 25.7±2.2 years) with offensive style were involved into a simulated competition and a treadmill test. The data recorded revealed heart rates of 135±7.9 b.min-1 with a peak of 177 b.min-1 and lactate levels of 1.1-2.9 mmol·l-1. Match evaluation revealed that table tennis players covered a distance of 514.5±213.1 meters during a game of 38.1±15.6 minutes. The duration of matches was 3.86±1.87 seconds with a rest effort ratio of 5 : 1. The results achieved confirm that table tennis in an aerobic-anaerobic game where alactic anaerobic metabolism is predominant. Time structure analysis revealed that table tennis is an intermittent submaximum sport with highland moderate intensity efforts. These results are useful to understand modern table tennis helping us to organize and plan training more exhaustively.