Reliability of the durability concept in professional cyclists: a field-based study

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Performance Analytics

Background:

• Durability is a key factor in cycling performance.
• The reliability of durability measures in professional cyclists is not well-established.
• Understanding durability's repeatability is crucial for performance monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the repeatability of cycling durability.
• To determine if durability is a reliable metric for professional cyclists.
• To investigate the influence of accumulated work and effort duration on durability reliability.

Main Methods:

• 18 professional cyclists' maximum mean power output was recorded.
• Measurements were taken after varying levels of accumulated work (0-40 kJ/kg) and for different effort durations (10s to 20min).
• Repeatability was analyzed using standard error of measurement and intra-class correlation coefficients.

Main Results:

• Maximum mean power output declined significantly with increased accumulated work, especially after 20 kJ/kg.
• High repeatability (SEM<5%, ICC>0.90) was observed for durability measures under fatigue.
• Shortest efforts (10s) showed the lowest repeatability, while training and competition data confirmed overall reliability.

Conclusions:

• Cycling durability is a reliable measure for professional cyclists.
• The findings support the validity of durability for field-based performance monitoring.
• Durability assessment can be a valuable tool for optimizing training and competition strategies.