FT-IR spectroscopy utilization to sportsmen fatigability evaluation and control

Purpose: A longitudinal biological study of 20 elite rowers was performed using capillary blood (serum) FT-IR spectra to evaluate their training load adaptations and fatigue, Methods: Difference spectra (rest serum spectra subtracted to exercise serum spectra) were used to evaluate subjects' metabolic response to exercise. Spectra classifications were used for serum contents differentiation on the basis of biomolecular absorption. Results: For two subjects, several metabolic differentiations were observed. These started with sugars metabolism on the fifth training week, followed successively by lipid metabolism and protein metabolism, when overtraining was clinically diagnosed. Several weeks further into the training program, the same onset of metabolic differentiations was observed for eight other subjects. When differentiations reached lipid metabolism, they were asked to reduce their training loads. Unlike the overtrained subjects, a rapid recovery was observed (3 vs 22 wk) and metabolism alterations disappeared. Conclusion: The fatigability limit in sportsmen seemed to be situated at a certain lever of metabolic stress, beyond which a rapid overtraining process recover was no longer possible.