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Exercise intensity during competition time trials in professional road cycling
S Padilla1, I Mujika, J Orbañanos
1Departamento de Investigación y Desarrollo, Servicios Médicos, Athletic Club de Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|April 25, 2000
Summary
Heart rate (HR) intensity markers, including onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) and lactate threshold (LT), accurately reflect physiological demands in professional cycling time trials (TT). These markers are reliable for events under or over 30 minutes.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Cycling Performance Analysis
Background:
- Accurate estimation of exercise intensity is crucial for optimizing training and performance in professional cycling.
- Heart rate (HR) is a commonly used metric, but its relationship with physiological markers like lactate accumulation needs to be well-defined for different cycling disciplines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate exercise intensity during professional road cycling time trials (TT) using competition heart rate (HR).
- To evaluate the accuracy of HR-based intensity markers relative to physiological thresholds across various TT formats.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen elite cyclists underwent laboratory testing to establish maximal power output (Wmax), maximal HR (HRmax), and the HR-power output relationship.
- Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) and lactate threshold (LT) zones were defined using HR.
- Competition HR was monitored during multiple types of time trials: prologue (PTT), short (STT), long (LTT), uphill (UTT), and team (TTT).
Main Results:
- Competition HR averaged 78-89% of HRmax across different TT types.
- Training impulse (TRIMP) values varied significantly, with longer TTs yielding higher values.
- Competition HR relative to HR(OBLA) and HR(LT) indicated distinct intensity profiles for different TT durations.
Conclusions:
- Percentage of HRmax, TRIMP, and time spent around HR(OBLA) and HR(LT) effectively represent the physiological load of various TT categories.
- HR(OBLA) and HR(LT) serve as accurate intensity markers for time trials lasting <= 30 minutes (PTT, STT) and >= 30 minutes (LTT, UTT, TTT), respectively.