OBJETIVOS: Comparar a capacidade funcional cardiorrespiratória no exercício, representada pelos índices de limitação funcional, consumo máximo de oxigênio (VO2máx) e limiar anaeróbico, em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (ICC) de diferentes faixas etárias, e comparar as respostas cardiopulmonares ao exercício máximo. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 54 pacientes com ICC, agrupados por faixa etária, como segue: grupo I - idade entre trinta e 39 anos (n = 12); grupo II - idade entre quarenta e 49 anos (n = 18); grupo III - idade entre cinqüenta e 59 anos (n = 17); grupo IV - idade igual ou maior que sessenta anos (n = 7). Os pacientes foram submetidos a um teste cardiopulmonar máximo, em esteira rolante. Para a comparação entre os diferentes grupos etários foi realizada uma análise de variância com um fator. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significante dos valores obtidos de consumo máximo de oxigênio e de limiar anaeróbico entre os grupos etários, bem como dos valores máximos das variáveis produção de dióxido de carbono, pulso de oxigênio, razão de trocas gasosas, ventilação pulmonar, equivalentes ventilatórios para o oxigênio e para o dióxido de carbono. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a capacidade funcional cardiorrespiratória no exercício de pacientes com ICC, assim como as variáveis cardiopulmonares obtidas no exercício máximo podem ser afetadas de forma semelhante pela doença cardíaca em todas as faixas etárias estudadas.

OBJECTIVES: This paper aims at comparing cardiorespiratory functional capacity during exercise - represented by indicators of functional limitation, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and anaerobic threshold - plus cardiopulmonary responses to maximal exercise in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients belonging to different age groups. METHODS: Fifty-four CHF patients, stratified by age group, were evaluated as follows: group I - 30 to 39 years (n = 12); group II - 40 to 49 years (n = 18); group III - 50 to 59 years (n = 17); and group IV - 60 years and above (n = 7). All patients underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on treadmills. A single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare different age groups. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold among the age groups, nor in maximal values for carbon dioxide production, oxygen pulse, respiratory exchange ratio, pulmonary ventilation, and ventilatory equivalents for oxygen and carbon dioxide. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that cardiorespiratory functional capacity during exercise in patients with CHF, as well as cardiopulmonary variables at maximal exercise, may be similarly affected by the heart disease in all studied age groups.

Hydration should be considered before, during and after the exercise. This review intends to approach the main points of hydration process in soccer. The replacement of fluids during exercise is proportional to some factors, such as: exercise intensity; climatic conditions; the athlete's acclimatization; the athlete's physical conditioning; physiologic individual characteristics and the player's biomechanics. Performance is improved when players ingest not only water but also carbohydrate. The rates that carbohydrate and water are absorbed by the organism are limited by the rates of gastric emptying and intestinal absorption. The composition of drinks offered to the players should be influenced by the relative importance of the need of supplying carbohydrates or water; it should be remembered that the depletion of carbohydrate can result in fatigue and decrease of performance, but it is not usually a life-threatening condition. The addition of carbohydrate in these drinks increases the concentrations of blood glucose, increases the use of external fuel through the increase of the glucose oxidation in the muscles and it spares muscle glycogen. So, the ingestion of carbohydrate before and during the exercise can delay the emergence of fatigue and increase the players' performance. Several tactics can be used to avoid dehydration, like hyperhydration before exercise and player's acclimatization. The ideal situation to restore the player's fluid losses is between the sessions of exercises. Since soccer is a sport with quite peculiar characteristics related to hydration, the players should be concerned and educated about the importance of fluid ingestion before, during and after the exercise.

OBJECTIVE: To differentiate the nature of functional cardiorespiratory limitations during exercise in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) and to determine indicators that may help their classifications. METHODS: The study comprised 40 patients: 23 with COPD and 17 with CHF. All individuals underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill. RESULTS: The values of peak gas exchange ratio (R peak), peak carbon dioxide production (VCO2 peak), and peak oxygen ventilatory equivalent (V E O2 peak) were higher in the patients with CHF than in those with COPD, and, therefore, those were the variables that characterized the differences between the groups. For group classification, the differentiating functions with the R peak, VCO2 peak (L/min), and V E O2 peak variables were used as follows: group COPD: - 44.886 + 78.832 x R peak + 5.442 x VCO2 peak + 0.336 x V E O2 peak; group CHF: - 69.251 + 89.740 x R peak + 8.461 x VCO2 peak + 0.574 x V E O2 peak. The differentiating function, whose result is greater, correctly classifies the patient's group as 90%. CONCLUSION: The R peak, VCO2 peak, and V E O2 peak values may be used to identify the cause of the functional cardiorespiratory limitations in patients with COPD and CHF.