Cardiorespiratory Responses of Pilots to Maximal Exercise Loading

Kwak, Choong Hwan; Bae, Jae Hoon; Min, Tae Hyung; Park, Hi Myung; Kim, Yoo Jin; Kim, Yoo Young; Kim, Yoo Moon; Kim, Jong Suk

Abstract

BACKGROUND
To provide some fundamental physiological basis for the physical training of pilots to improve orthostatic intolerance, cardiorespiratory responses to the symptom-limited maximal exercise loading were studied in pilots and non-pilots, and the results were compared. METHOD: Cardiorespiratory reponses to the symptom-limited maximal exercise loading by Bruce protocol was studied in 11 pilots and 11 matched controls (non-pilots).
RESULTS
Comparisons of various data at maximal exercise in the pilots with those in the controls revealed that RR, VE/M2, VE/VO2, VE/VCO2, VT/VC and VE/MVV as well as HR, VO2, O2 pulse and AT showed no significant difference.
CONCLUSION
The fact that the aerobic power in the pilots is not superior to that in the controls seems to emphasisze the necessity of aerobic endurance training along with muscular strength training to improve orthostatic tolerance of pilots flying modern high-performance aircrafts.