Impact of prior accumulated work and intensity on power output in elite/international level road cyclists—a pilot study
Peter Leo, Andrea Giorgi, James Spragg, Borja Martinez‐Gonzalez, Iñigo Mujika
Abstract
Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the impact of the intensity of prior accumulated work on the decline in power output in elite/international level road cyclists, comparing the effects of prior continuous moderate intensity versus intermittent high intensity cycling. Methods Nine elite/international level road cyclists (age 26.2 ± 4.0 years; body mass: 66.6 ± 5.5 kg; height: 176 ± 0.4 cm) conducted a 12-min field test (12 min fresh ) during two consecutive training camps. Participants then performed both a 150-min moderate intensity continuous (MIC) work bout or a 150-min high intensity intermittent (HII) race simulation in randomized order, cross-over design. After each condition a 12-min field test (12 min fatigue ) was completed. Results Absolute and relative 12 min fresh power output were not significantly different between training camps ( p > 0.05). The 12 min fatigue power after HII was significantly lower than 12 min fatigue after MIC (∆ = 14 W; p = 0.014). Participants recorded more percentage time (%Time) in heart rate (HR) zone 3 (∆ = 9.2%; p = 0.003) and power output band between 5.0–7.9 W $$\cdot$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mo>∙</mml:mo> </mml:math> kg −1 (∆ = 8.9%; p = 0.002) as well as higher total work (∆ = 237 kJ; p ≤ 0.001) during HII. Conclusion These findings reveal that the decline in power output is higher after HII compared to MIC cycling work bouts. This suggests that the quantification of total work and intensity should be used in conjunction to predict a distinctive decline in power output. Future research is required to better understand the mechanisms of endurance “durability” in elite/international level road cyclists.