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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement
Volume 6 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1395415
This article is part of the Research Topic Advancements in Cycling Performance Enhancement Strategies for Cyclists: From Amateurs to Elite View all 3 articles
Steep uphill cycling using repeated transitions between seated and standing positions results in a lower blood-lactate concentration than continuous use of either seated or standing position
Provisionally accepted- Dalarna University, Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
This study investigated whether repeated transitions between seated and standing positions has a different physiological response compared to continuous use of either seated position or standing position during steep uphill cycling among elite cyclists. Ten elite male cyclists completed three 5-min treadmill cycling tests at an inclination of 6.8° with constant individual-based speed resulting in a work intensity close to the aerobic threshold. During the first and third test, the participants used standing position (ST test) and seated position (SE test) or vice versa, whereas in the second test, they made repeated transitions between standing and seated positions every 10 seconds (RT test). The last 2 min of each test was used to measure the mean values of oxygen uptake (V ̇O2) and respiratory exchange ratio, which were used to calculate the metabolic rate (MR) and gross efficiency (GE). Additionally, the blood-lactate concentration before and after (Lapost) each test was determined. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine the effect of cycling position on the physiological response. No significant differences between tests were observed for the variables related to aerobic energy expenditure (i.e. V ̇O2, MR and GE), whereas the RT test was associated with a significantly lower Lapost compared to the ST and SE tests. Steep uphill cycling, at an intensity close to the aerobic threshold, with repeated transitions between standing and seated positions, did not have a higher oxygen consumption; instead, the blood-lactate concentration was lower during the RT test compared to that under continuous use of either seated or standing position.
Keywords: Bicycling, cycling posture, gross efficiency, treadmill, physiological response
Received: 03 Mar 2024; Accepted: 09 Sep 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Carlsson, Lindblom and Carlsson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Magnus Carlsson, Dalarna University, Falun, 791 88, Dalarna, Sweden
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