The Influence of High-Intensity Work on the Record Power Profile of Under-23, Pro Team, and World Tour Cyclists

  1. Leo, Peter 45
  2. Mateo-March, Manuel 17
  3. Giorgi, Andrea 89
  4. Muriel, Xabier 3
  5. Javaloyes, Alejandro 7
  6. Barranco-Gil, David 1
  7. Pallarés, Jesús G. 3
  8. Lucia, Alejandro 12
  9. Mujika, Iñigo 1011
  10. Valenzuela, Pedro L. 26
  1. 1 Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  2. 2 Physical Activity and Health Research Group (PAHERG), Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
  3. 3 Human Performance and Sports Science Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
  4. 4 Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
  5. 5 UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
  6. 6 Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
  7. 7 Department of Sport Sciences, Sports Research Center, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Alicante, Spain
  8. 8 Androni Giocattoli—Sidermec Professional Cycling Team, Siena, Italy
  9. 9 Department of Internal Medicine, Specialist Medicine and Rehabilitation, Azienda USL Toscana-SouthEast, Siena, Italy
  10. 10 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Basque Country
  11. 11 Exercise Science Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile
Mostrar afiliaciones +
Revista:
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

ISSN: 1555-0265,  1555-0273

Año de publicación: 2024

Páginas: 1-5

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1123/IJSPP.2023-0451 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

Resumen

Background: Durability (ie, the ability to attenuate the decline in performance after accumulated work) has been identified as a performance determinant in elite cyclists. The aim of the present study was to compare durability in elite cyclists of various performance levels, particularly after high-intensity work, referred to as “high-intensity durability.” Methods: Forty-nine (N = 49) male road cyclists were categorized as either under 23 years of age (U23) (N = 11), Pro Team (N = 13), or World Tour (N = 24). The participants’ critical power (CP) was assessed during the preseason. Thereafter, the participants’ maximum mean power (MMP) values were determined for efforts of different durations (from 5 s to 30 min) after different levels of accumulated work above CP (from 0 to 7.5 kJ·kg−1). Results: U23 cyclists showed a significant reduction of all relative MMP values for durations ≥1 minute after ≥5 kJ·kg−1 above CP compared with the “fresh” state (0 kJ·kg−1), whereas in Pro Team and World Tour cyclists, a significant reduction was not observed until 7.5 kJ·kg−1 above CP. In the “fresh” state, both Pro Team and particularly World Tour cyclists attained higher MMP values for efforts ≥10 minutes than U23 riders. However, more differences emerged with greater previous work levels, and indeed after 7.5 kJ·kg−1 above CP World Tour cyclists attained higher MMP values than both U23 and Pro Team cyclists for most efforts (≥30 s). Conclusion: Pro Team and particularly World Tour cyclists tolerate greater levels of accumulated work at high intensity, which might support the importance of high-intensity durability for performance.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Valenzuela PL, Muriel X, van Erp T, et al. The record power profile of male professional cyclists: normative values obtained from a large database. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022;17(5):701–710. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2021-0263
  • Muriel X, Mateo-March M, Valenzuela PL, et al. Durability and repeatability of professional cyclists during a Grand Tour. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022;22(12):1797–1804. doi:10.1080/17461391.2021.1987528
  • Maunder E, Seiler S, Mildenhall MJ, Kilding AE, Plews DJ. The importance of ‘durability’ in the physiological profiling of endurance athletes. Sports medicine. 2021;51(8):1619–1628. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01459-0
  • Jones AM. The fourth dimension: physiological resilience as an independent determinant of endurance exercise performance. J Physiol. 2023;10:205. doi:10.1113/JP284205
  • Mateo-March M, Valenzuela PL, Muriel X, et al. The record power profile of male professional cyclists: fatigue matters. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022;17(6):926–931. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2021-0403
  • van Erp T, Sanders D, Lamberts RP. Maintaining power output with accumulating levels of work done is a key determinant for success in professional cycling. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(9):1903–1910. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002656
  • Leo P, Giorgi A, Spragg J, Gonzalez BM, Mujika I. Impact of prior accumulated work and intensity on power output in elite/international level road cyclists—a pilot study. Ger J Exerc Sport Res. 2022;52(4):673–677. doi:10.1007/s12662-022-00818-x.
  • Brownstein CG, Mira J, Murias JM, Millet GY. Power output manipulation from below to above the gas exchange threshold results in exacerbated performance fatigability. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54(11):1947–1960. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002976
  • Passfield L, Hopker JG, Jobson S, Friel D, Zabala M. Knowledge is power: Issues of measuring training and performance in cycling. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(14):1426–1434. doi:10.1080/02640414.2016.1215504
  • Etxebarria N, D’Auria S, Anson JM, Pyne DB, Ferguson RA. Variability in power output during cycling in international Olympic-distance triathlon. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2014;9(4):732–734. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2013-0303
  • Sanders D, van Erp T. The physical demands and power profile of professional men’s cycling races: an updated review. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020;16(1):3–12. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2020-0508
  • Leo P, Spragg J, Mujika I, Menz V, Lawley JS. Power profiling in U23 professional cyclists during a competitive season. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2021;16(6):881–889. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2020-0200
  • Leo P, Spragg J, Mujika I, et al. Power profiling, workload characteristics, and race performance of U23 and professional cyclists during the multistage race tour of the Alps. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2021;16(8):1089–1095. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2020-0381
  • Wooles AL, Robinson AJ, Keen PS. A static method for obtaining a calibration factor for SRM bicycle power cranks. Sports Engineering 2005;8:137–144. doi:10.1007/BF02844014
  • Gallo G, Mateo-March M, Leo P, et al. Power road-derived physical performance parameters in junior, under-23, and professional road cycling climbers. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022;17(7):1094–1102. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2021-0554