Correlation Between Breath-Hold Time and Anaerobic Capacity in Sprint Runners

A bstract Background: Breath-holding time (BHT) is the longest duration for which a person can voluntarily hold their breath. It is influenced by several factors, including training status, respiratory muscle strength, lung volume, motivation, stress, involuntary muscular contractions, and chemical factors such as pCO 2 , pO 2 , and H + ion concentration. The Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) is a sport-specific test developed to assess anaerobic performance in athletes whose primary mode of movement is running. Sprint performance depends largely on anaerobic metabolism; therefore, individuals with greater anaerobic capacity (AC) are expected to perform better. Materials and Methods: Fifty participants meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited. BHT was assessed using the best-of-five trial method. AC was evaluated using the RAST. Results: The mean BHT was approximately 1 minute and showed a significant positive correlation with AC. Conclusion: There is a positive association between BHT and AC.