COMPARISON OF VO2 MAX AMONG HOCKEY FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Mr. Mahatma Basumatary, Dr. Ramesh Chand Yadav, Dr. Krishnakant*

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) among male college athletes specializing in Hockey, Basketball, and Football to determine if sport-specific demands led to significant differences in aerobic capacity. Methods: Forty-five healthy male students (age 20–24 years) from the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, NERC, were randomly selected (n=15 per sport). VO2 max was estimated using the Åstrand Step Test, involving a six-minute stepping exercise on a 40cm bench at a rate of 30 steps per minute. Body weight and post-exercise heart rate were used to calculate aerobic capacity through the Åstrand-Ryhming nomogram. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA with significance level set at 0.05. Results: The mean VO2 max values were 2.79 ± 0.56 L/min for hockey players, 2.89 ± 0.60 L/min for basketball players, and 2.87 ± 0.59 L/min for football players. The ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups (F = 0.123, p = 0.885). Conclusion: The findings indicate that VO2 max levels were similar across all three sports within this specific population. This lack of differentiation is attributed to the subjects' shared residential environment, including identical daily routines, communal nutritional intake, and synchronized physical education training schedules, which likely resulted in a uniform baseline of cardiovascular fitness.

Keywords: VO2 max, Aerobic Capacity, Åstrand & Åstrand Step Test, Field Hockey, Basketball, Football.