No effect of cycling experience on leg cycle ergometer efficiency
Nickleberry, B.L.; Brooks, G.A.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 28(11): 1396-1401
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0195-9131 PMID: 8933490 Document Number: 460111
Estimates of muscular efficiency in competitive and recreational cyclists at similar work intensities and cycling frequencies were examined. Twelve healthy college-age male nonsmoker volunteers were grouped as either competitive (CC; N = 6) or recreational (RC; N = 6) cyclists based upon previous cycling experience. Subjects were studied at pedaling frequencies of 50 and. 80 rpm during bouts of graded and submaximal endurance (75% ovrhdot VO-2peak) exercise. Between rest and 250 W, we observed no intergroup differences in ovrhdot VO-2 (energy input) at either 50 or 80 rpm. Estimates of whole body (gross) muscular efficiency ranged from 15% to 24% in competitive and 13% to 22% in recreational cyclists at 50 rpm but were not different. Delta (DELTA) efficiencies ranged from 20% to 34% in competitive and from 21% to 28% in recreational cyclists. Delta efficiency decreased from 27% to 21% in competitive cyclists, from 25% to 21% in recreational cyclists as a function of pedaling frequency, and was not different between groups. Competitive cyclists rode longer at both 50 rpm (27 +- 5 min vs 14 +- 2 min; P lt 0.05) and 80 rpm (35 +- 4 min vs 20 +- 4 min; P lt 0.05). At 50 rpm (3.08 +- 0.02 l cntdot min-1 vs 2.78 +- 0.5 l cntdot min-1; P lt 0.01) and 80 rpm (3.14 +- 0.01 l cntdot min-1 vs 2.7 +- 0.04 l cntdot min-1; P lt 0.001), the mean ovrhdot VO-2 was also greater in competitive cyclists. Although both groups showed superior endurance at 80 compared with 50 rpm and total work was approximately double competitive cyclists at each pedaling frequency, we observed no differences in whole body muscular efficiency during sustained exercise at 75% ovrhdot VO-2peak. Our results suggested that previous cycling experience was of minor importance when comparing cycle ergometer efficiency between these two groups. The increased endurance at higher pedaling frequencies during submaximal exercise is not explained by altered muscular efficiency.