**7. Discussion**

This study discusses the HR in people with ID comparing the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise of athletes participating in SO in two different sports. Table tennis and cross-country skiing at different distances (50 m, 1 km, and 3 km) were compared. Results of this study show increase in HR after 2 minutes of exercise in all compared groups. Furthermore, resting HR was increased before the second match in TT player compared to resting HR before the first match, probably associated with fatigue from the previous match or with the prestart condition and their prestart readiness during the tournament. However, future studies are needed to evaluate the prestart conditions in athletes with ID.

The heart rate changes with every heartbeat and its increase may be observed in a stressful situation. As a stressful situation, we can consider mental and physical strain or fatigue. In case of athletes, physical exercise is associated with psychological pressure, and HR therefore may vary considerably in each individual. This applies both to healthy people and to people with ID. Sperlich et al. focused

**57**

*Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Intellectual Disability DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86824*

whose TT skills are limited.

distances in the previous study [15].

previous studies [5, 35–37].

fitness and ID relationship.

Grant No. Y3 18 600-28 (Golisano Foundation).

**Acknowledgements**

**8. Conclusion**

on monitoring metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters during training and matches of adolescent elite table tennis players, and their results showed that the average HR during the match is approximately 126 beats per minute [31]. Compared with our measured results, elite adolescent TT players have an average HR higher than TT players competing in SO (107 beats per minute). In elite adult TT players during national and international tournaments, the HR reaches 164 beats per minute [32], differing greatly from values observed in our study in athletes with ID

If we compare the difference between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise, the results show a similar increase for TT players and XC skiers competing in 3 km race. Changes in HR in XC skiers competing in 50 m and 1 km races between the rest and exercise were noticeably higher. This observation may be caused by the fact that athletes with a severe mental handicap compete in shorter distances, whereas both TT and 3 km race require advanced cognitive skills to manage the required technique (up and down terrain in XC skiing, eye-hand-ball coordination in TT) and maintain the intrinsic motivation for a longer time. Additional aspect may be the training—better trained individuals shows lower HR during the submaximal load; however the training of athletes with severe ID, who compete in shorter XC skiing distances, may not create a sufficient training load as the lower level of fitness performance was observed in athletes competing in short XC skiing

At the same time, people with mental disabilities are more likely to be overweight or obese compared to the general population [33, 34]. Also, in our participants, BMI of female skiers competing in 50 m and 1 km race indicates the overweight; in TT players the BMI shows class I obesity. In males, the overweight was observed in XC skiers competing in 50 m race. Female sex was observed to be a risk factor for obesity in both general population and in population with ID also in

This study discusses the HR in people with ID comparing the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise of athletes participating in SO in table tennis and cross-country skiing (50 m, 1 km, and 3 km). The results showed a similar increase between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise for TT players and XC skiers competing in 3 km race. Changes in HR and in XC skiers competing in 50 m and 1 km races between the rest and exercise were noticeably higher indicating their lower fitness. Additionally, the high prevalence of overweight and obesity highlights the need for healthy lifestyle education in athletes with ID, especially in 50 m XC skiers. Despite the limitation of this study consisting of a small number of participants, the results highlight the coach's responsibility to select appropriate event according to the athlete's abilities and limits, but a more demanding training should be necessary. Future studies focused on the relationship of HR variables and training quality will provide a more detailed knowledge of the cardiorespiratory

The project and the article were supported with the SOI Healthy Community

### *Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Intellectual Disability DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86824*

*Cardiorespiratory Fitness*

**Table 4.**

minute) and women (25.6 beats per minute). Nevertheless, also in male 1 km XC skiers, HR increased by more than 20 beats per minute (24.3) on average. Greater increase in HR after exercise may indicate a lower aerobic fitness in aforementioned athletes. The difference between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise

*The average difference between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise in male and female TT* 

**Dif TT1 Dif TT2 Dif Cross-**

*The average difference between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise.*

**country skiing (50 m)**

Female + male 12.9 13.1 23.1 17.4 13.2 Female 18.5 12.0 25.6 10.6 10.0 Male 9.2 14.0 23.6 24.3 16.3

**Dif Crosscountry skiing (1 km)**

**Dif Crosscountry skiing (3 km)**

This study discusses the HR in people with ID comparing the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise of athletes participating in SO in two different sports. Table tennis and cross-country skiing at different distances (50 m, 1 km, and 3 km) were compared. Results of this study show increase in HR after 2 minutes of exercise in all compared groups. Furthermore, resting HR was increased before the second match in TT player compared to resting HR before the first match, probably associated with fatigue from the previous match or with the prestart condition and their prestart readiness during the tournament. However, future studies are needed

The heart rate changes with every heartbeat and its increase may be observed

in a stressful situation. As a stressful situation, we can consider mental and physical strain or fatigue. In case of athletes, physical exercise is associated with psychological pressure, and HR therefore may vary considerably in each individual. This applies both to healthy people and to people with ID. Sperlich et al. focused

is shown in **Table 4** and **Figure 3**.

to evaluate the prestart conditions in athletes with ID.

**7. Discussion**

**Figure 3.**

*players and XC skiers.*

**56**

on monitoring metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters during training and matches of adolescent elite table tennis players, and their results showed that the average HR during the match is approximately 126 beats per minute [31]. Compared with our measured results, elite adolescent TT players have an average HR higher than TT players competing in SO (107 beats per minute). In elite adult TT players during national and international tournaments, the HR reaches 164 beats per minute [32], differing greatly from values observed in our study in athletes with ID whose TT skills are limited.

If we compare the difference between the resting HR and HR after 2 minutes of exercise, the results show a similar increase for TT players and XC skiers competing in 3 km race. Changes in HR in XC skiers competing in 50 m and 1 km races between the rest and exercise were noticeably higher. This observation may be caused by the fact that athletes with a severe mental handicap compete in shorter distances, whereas both TT and 3 km race require advanced cognitive skills to manage the required technique (up and down terrain in XC skiing, eye-hand-ball coordination in TT) and maintain the intrinsic motivation for a longer time. Additional aspect may be the training—better trained individuals shows lower HR during the submaximal load; however the training of athletes with severe ID, who compete in shorter XC skiing distances, may not create a sufficient training load as the lower level of fitness performance was observed in athletes competing in short XC skiing distances in the previous study [15].

At the same time, people with mental disabilities are more likely to be overweight or obese compared to the general population [33, 34]. Also, in our participants, BMI of female skiers competing in 50 m and 1 km race indicates the overweight; in TT players the BMI shows class I obesity. In males, the overweight was observed in XC skiers competing in 50 m race. Female sex was observed to be a risk factor for obesity in both general population and in population with ID also in previous studies [5, 35–37].
