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Influence of two pedalling rate conditions on mechanical output and physiological responses during all-out intermittent exercise

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two cycling velocities on power output and concomitant metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses to repeated all-out exercises. Mean power output (P m), total work (W tot), total oxygen consumption (VO2tot) and blood lactate accumulation (Δ[La]b) were evaluated in 13 male subjects who performed two series of twelve 5-s bouts of sprint cycling. Recovery periods of 45-s were allowed between trials. One series was executed at optimal velocity (V opt: velocity for greatest power) and the other one at 50% V opt (0.5V opt). Velocities obtained in these conditions were Vopt=116.6 (4.7) rpm; 0.5Vopt=60.6 (4.9) rpm. After a phase of adaptation in oxygen uptake in the first part of the series, the data from the 6th to the 12th sprint were as follows: P m, 924.6 (73.9) versus 689.2 (61.8) W; W tot, 29.95 (4.14) versus 22.04 (3.17) kJ; VO2tot, 12.80 (1.36) versus 10.58 (1.37) l; Δ[La]b, 2.72 (1.22) versus 0.64 (0.79) mmol.l−1, respectively (P<0.001). Both W tot and VO2tot were consistently higher at optimal velocity (+21 and +35.8%, respectively). The present findings demonstrate that during intermittent short-term all-out exercise requiring maximal activation, the energy turnover is not necessarily maximal. It depends on muscle contraction velocity. The increase, lower than expected, in metabolic response from 0.5V opt to V opt suggests also that mechanical efficiency is higher at V opt.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie de l'Exercice GIP Exercise-Sport-Santé, Faculté de Médecine Lyon Sud, BP 12, 69921, Oullins Cedex, France

    Sylvain Dorel, Muriel Bourdin & Jean-René Lacour

  2. Laboratoire de Biologie des Activités Physiques et Sportives, Université Blaise-Pascal Université d'Auvergne, BP 104 , 63172, Aubière Cedex, France

    Sylvain Dorel, Emmanuel Van Praagh & Christophe André Hautier

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  1. Sylvain Dorel
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  2. Muriel Bourdin
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  3. Emmanuel Van Praagh
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  4. Jean-René Lacour
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  5. Christophe André Hautier
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Correspondence to Sylvain Dorel.

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Dorel, S., Bourdin, M., Van Praagh, E. et al. Influence of two pedalling rate conditions on mechanical output and physiological responses during all-out intermittent exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 89, 157–165 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-002-0764-4

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