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Power Profiling in U23 Professional Cyclists During a Competitive Season
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
|February 19, 2021
Summary
The power profile of U23 cyclists remains stable throughout the season, with slight increases in relative maximal mean power output (MMP) and critical power (CP) late in the season. Monitoring both pre-season and in-season CP is recommended for accurate assessment.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Cycling Performance Analysis
Background:
- Understanding the dynamics of a cyclist's power profile throughout a competitive season is crucial for optimizing training and performance.
- Maximal Mean Power Output (MMP), Critical Power (CP), and Work capacity above CP (W') are key physiological markers used to assess cycling performance.
- Previous research has explored these parameters, but longitudinal changes during a competitive season in U23 professional cyclists require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the power profile, defined by MMP, CP, and W', changes in U23 professional cyclists during a competitive season.
- To compare power profile metrics derived from laboratory-based CP tests with those obtained from field-based training and racing data.
- To establish the reliability and agreement between laboratory and field-derived power profile measures across different in-season periods.
Main Methods:
- Thirteen U23 professional cyclists participated, with their season divided into pre-season and in-season (early, mid, late).
- Critical Power (CP) and Work capacity above CP (W') were derived from a pre-season CP test (CPtest, W'test).
- Maximal Mean Power Output (MMP) over 2, 5, and 12 minutes during the in-season were used to derive field-based CP (CPfield) and W' (W'field).
Main Results:
- Absolute MMP, CPfield, and W'field showed no significant differences between in-season periods.
- Relative 12-minute MMP and CPfield were significantly higher in the late-season compared to the early-season, likely due to changes in body mass.
- Strong correlations were found between CPtest and CPfield in the early and mid-season, with good agreement between CPtest and CPfield, but not between W'test and W'field.
Conclusions:
- The power profile of U23 professional cyclists generally remains stable throughout the competitive season, with minor increases in relative metrics observed late-season.
- The findings suggest that while CPfield correlates well with CPtest, W'field may not accurately reflect W'test, indicating potential limitations in assessing fatigue resistance.
- It is recommended to conduct one pre-season and one in-season CP test to effectively evaluate in-season CPfield and W'field for performance monitoring.
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