Cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength of deaf futsal players

The present study compared the cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and peak torque of the knee extensor and flexor muscles in team players associated with the Gaucho Deaf Futsal Federation players to those of their hearing peers. In this cross-sectional study, 16 male athletes, eight futsal players with hearing impairment (deaf group, DG; 22.6±7.7 years), and eight futsal players with normal hearing (control group, CG; 22.5±2.9 years) underwent a cardiopulmonary test on a treadmill and isokinetic dynamometry at 60°/sec. All athletes were subjected to a cardiopulmonary test on a treadmill and isokinetic dynamometry at 60°/sec. The main results showed a reduction in the cardiorespiratory fitness of deaf athletes when compared to the control group maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2max)) (40.3±9.8 mL/kg/min vs. 50.7±4.7 mL/kg/min, P= 0.01), oxygen pulse (15.3±4.8 mL/bpm vs. 20.7±2.6 mL/bpm, P=0.01) and ventilation (70.1±22 L/min vs. 96.2±15 L/min, P=0.01), respectively. The relative torque peak of the dominant knee flexors was significantly lower in the deaf group when compared to the control (1.5±0.2 N.m/kg vs. 1.9±0.2 N.m/kg, P=0.004), respectively. There was a significant correlation between VO(2max) and peak torque of the dominant knee flexors (r(s)=0.83, P<0.001) and extensors (r(s)=0.65, P=0.006). When compared to players with normal hearing, deaf players showed lower cardiorespiratory fitness and decreased knee flexor strength. The performance of the thigh muscles was associated with aerobic capacity.