1. Ventilatory efficiency and breathing pattern in world-class cyclists: A three-year observational study.
- Author
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Salazar-Martínez, Eduardo, Terrados, Nicolás, Burtscher, Martin, Santalla, Alfredo, and Naranjo Orellana, José
- Subjects
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CYCLIST physiology , *ERGOMETRY , *MECHANICAL ventilators , *EXERCISE physiology , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *SCIENTIFIC observation - Abstract
The purpose of this three-year observational study was to analyze the ventilatory efficiency and breathing pattern in world-class professional cyclists. Twelve athletes (22.61 ± 3.8 years; 177.38 ± 5.5 cm; 68.96 ± 5.5 kg and VO 2max 75.51 ± 3.3mL kg −1 min −1 ) were analyzed retrospectively. For each subject, respiratory and performance variables were recorded during incremental spiroergometry: oxygen uptake (VO 2 ), carbon dioxide output (VCO 2 ), pulmonary ventilation (VE), tidal volume (Vt), breathing frequency ( f R ), driving (Vt/Ti), timing (Ti/Ttot), peak power output (PPO) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2max ). Ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO 2 slope) was calculated from the beginning of exercise testing to the second ventilatory threshold (VT 2 ). The VE/VCO 2 slope was unaffected during the study period (24.63 ± 3.07; 23.61 ± 2:79; 24:89 ± 2:61) with a low effect size (ES = 0.04). The PPO improved significantly in the third year (365 ± 33.74; 386.36 ± 32.33; 415.00 ± 24.15) ( p < 0.05). The breathing pattern variables, Vt/Ti and Ti/Ttot, did not change significantly over the three year period (ES = 0.00; ES = 0.03 respectively). These findings suggest that changes in cycling performance in world-class professional cyclists do not modify breathing variables related to the control of ventilatory efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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