Investigation of performance and physiological profiles of elite male tennis players

The purpose of this study is to assess performance and physiological profiles of elite male tennis players.Total of ten elite Turkish male tennis players voluntarily participated into this study. The mean age, height and body mass of the tennis players were 22.2±2.8 years, 180.7±4.4 cm and 75.9±8.9 kg, respectively. Subjects were participated in 3 experimental sessions: (1) an International Tennis Number Test (ITN) on-court assessment, (2) a laboratory tests, (3) 60 minutes of tennis match which was played using portable gas analyzers. Statistical analyses were performed by using descriptive statistics and Pearson?s product moment correlation SPSS 16.0 package program.As a result of this study, the mean match characteristics were identified as follows: rally time, 6.7±4.7 s; recovery time, 25.9±17.7 s; effective playing time, 26.3±3.2 %; work-to-recovery ratio, 1:3.83; number of shots per rally, 3.9±2.9; oxygen uptake (Vo2), 26.6±2.7 ml.kg-1min-1 ; heart rate (HR), 142.7±9.5 beats.min-1; respiratory exchange ratio, 0.97±0.08 and energy expenditure, 568±58.8 Kcal. The mean values for the physiological variables were: Vo2max, 49.8±1.2ml.kg-1min-1; sit and reach, 18.9±4.6 cm; dominant handgrip, 54.9±3.5 kg; non-dominant handgrip, 47.8±4.4 kg; back strength, 150.2±12.1 kg; leg strength, 202±12.5 kg; cooper test, 49.8±1.2 ml.kg-1min-1; Wingate peak power, 11.3±1.5 watt.kg-1; fatigue index, 70.7±16.9 %.In conclusion, although strength and aerobic power of subjects were found lower than the ones mentioned in the literature, other findings obtained in this study were similar.Key words: Tennis, match analysis, consumption of oxygen.