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Strength training among professional UCI road cyclists: Practices, challenges, and rationales
Vidar Vikestad1, Idar Kristian Lyngstad1, Terje Dalen1
1Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Faculty of Education and Arts, Nord University, Levanger, Norway.
Plos One
|July 10, 2025
Summary
Professional road cyclists engage in strength training primarily for performance and injury prevention. Challenges include travel and fatigue, with coach guidance being influential, especially during the demanding race season.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Cycling Performance
Background:
- Strength training is crucial for athletic performance and injury prevention in professional cycling.
- Understanding current strength training practices, challenges, and motivations among elite cyclists is essential for optimizing training programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the strength training practices, challenges, and rationales of professional road cyclists.
- To identify differences in strength training engagement between male and female cyclists.
- To explore the influence of external factors, such as coaching, on strength training adherence.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative questionnaires and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
- Data collected from 147 professional road cyclists (88 male, 59 female) identified via a cycling statistics database.
- Content analysis of interview data to provide in-depth insights into cyclists' experiences.
Main Results:
- Cyclists typically perform two strength training sessions weekly in the off- and pre-season, reducing to one maintenance session during the race season.
- Female cyclists reported higher adherence to strength training during pre-season and race season compared to male cyclists.
- Key challenges included travel, fatigue, and racing; primary motivations were performance enhancement, injury prevention, and bone health.
Conclusions:
- Professional cyclists face significant challenges in maintaining consistent strength training, particularly during the competitive race season.
- Strength training adherence and practices vary between genders, with female cyclists showing higher engagement.
- Expert guidance is vital for professional cyclists to sustain effective strength training regimens throughout their competitive calendar.
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