ABSTRACT
Although gymnastics as a sport is increasingly publicized, attracting global media coverage for competitions such as the World Championships and the Olympics, it has not attracted as much scientific interest as mainstream sports. As early as the 1960s, authors reported that gymnasts were characterized by a low maximal aerobic power but a high level of strength (Horak, 1969; Montpetit, 1976; Saltin & Astrand, 1967; Szogy & Cherebetiu, 1971). This has been confirmed in a more recent review of the literature which has incorporated modern artistic gymnastics (Jemni et al., 2001). Very few studies have explored the differences between the physiological responses in male and female gymnasts nor the energetics of the different gymnastic events. Factors which may have contributed to the paucity of the scientific database in this field include the complexity of the sport, the lack of adequate equipment and specific physiological testing protocols. During the 1970s it was suggested that male gymnasts, irrespective of their events, had an energy expenditure similar to that of running at 13 km/h (8 mph) on a treadmill (Montpetit, 1976). More recently, studies have shown significant different physiological, biomechanical and psychological requirements between running and gymnastics.
