Training for elite team-pursuit track cyclists-part I: a profile of general training characteristics
Date
2024
Authors
Stadnyk, A.M.J.
Stanley, J.
Decker, T.
Slattery, K.M.
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International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2024; 19(10):1137-1147
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Abstract
Purpose: To profile the training characteristics of an elite team pursuit cycling squad and assess variations in training intensity and load accumulation across the 36-week period prior to a world-record performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Methods: Training data of 5 male track endurance cyclists (mean [SD]; age 21.9 [3.52] y; 4.4 [0.16] W<middle dot>kg(-1) at anaerobic threshold; 6.2 [0.28] W<middle dot>kg(-1) maximal oxygen uptake 68.7 [2.99] mL kg<middle dot>min(-1)) were analyzed with weekly total training volume and heart rate, power output, and torque intensity distributions calculated with reference to their 3:49.804 min:s.ms performance requirements for a 4-km team pursuit.
Results: Athletes completed 543 (37) h(-1) of training across 436 (16) sessions. On-bike activities accounted for 69.9% of all training sessions, with participants cycling 11,246 (1139) km(-1) in the training period of interest, whereas 12.7% of sessions involved gym/strength training. A pyramidal intensity distribution was evident with over 65% and 70% of training, respectively, performed at low-intensity zone heart rate and power output, whereas 5.3% and 7.7% of training was performed above anaerobic threshold. The athletes accumulated 4.4% of total training volume at, or above, their world-record team pursuit lead position torque (55 N<middle dot>m).
Conclusions: These data provide updated and novel insight to the power and torque demands and load accumulation contributing to world-record team pursuit performance. Although the observed pyramidal intensity distribution is common in endurance sports, the lack of shift toward a polarized intensity distribution during taper and competition peaking differs from previous research.
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Copyright 2024 Human Kinetics
Access Condition Notes: Accepted manuscript available on open access