In addition to muscle size, the maximal evocable force of a muscle (group) appears to be linked to the magnitude of the W' in elite cyclists.

Exercise can induce numerous health benefits that can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and all-cause mortality, yet a significant percentage of the population do not meet minimal physical activity guidelines. Several recent studies have shown that passive heating can induce numerous health benefits, many of which are comparable to exercise, such as improvements to cardiorespiratory fitness, vascular health, glycaemic control and chronic low-grade inflammation. As such, passive heating is emerging as a promising therapy for populations who cannot perform sustained exercise or display poor exercise adherence. There appears to be some overlap between the cellular signalling responses that are regulated by temperature and the mechanisms that underpin beneficial adaptations to exercise, but detailed comparisons have not yet been made. Therefore, the purpose of this mini review is to assess the similarities and distinctions between adaptations to passive heating and exercise. Understanding the potential shared mechanisms of action between passive heating and exercise may help to direct future studies to implement passive heating more effectively and identify differences between passive heating and exercise induced adaptations.

Introduction This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 6‐week cycling‐specific, isometric resistance training program on peak power output (PPO) in elite cyclists. Methods Twenty‐four elite track sprint cyclists were allocated to EXP (n = 13, PPO, 1537 ± 307 W) and CON (n = 11, PPO, 1541 ± 389 W) groups. All participants completed a 6‐week training program; training content was identical except participants in the EXP group replaced their usual compound lower body resistance training exercise with a cycling‐specific, isometric resistance training stimulus. Cycling PPO, knee extensor and cycling‐specific isometric strength, and measures of muscle architecture were assessed pre‐ and post‐training. Results In EXP, absolute and relative PPO increased (46 ± 62 W and 0.8 ± 0.7 W/kg, P < .05), and the change in relative PPO was different to CON (−0.1 ± 1.0 W/kg, group × time interaction P = .02). The increase in PPO was concurrent with an increase in extrapolated maximal torque in EXP (7.1 ± 6.5 Nm, P = .007), but the effect was not different from the change in CON (2.4 ± 9.7 Nm, group × time P = .14). Cycling‐specific isometric strength also increased more in EXP (group × time P = .002). There were no other between‐group differences in response to training. Conclusion A 6‐week novel, cycling‐specific isometric resistance training period improved PPO in a group of elite sprint cyclists by 3%‐4%. These data support the use of a cycling‐specific isometric resistance training stimulus in the preparation programs of world‐class cyclists.

Hot water immersion improves cardiovascular health and sporting performance, yet its adverse responses are understudied. Thirteen young and 17 middle-aged adults (n = 30) were exposed to 2 × 30 min bouts of whole-body 39 • C water immersion.Young adults also completed cooling mitigation strategies in a randomized crossover design. Orthostatic intolerance and selected physiological, perceptual, postural and cognitive responses were assessed. Orthostatic hypotension occurred in 94% of middle-aged adults and 77% of young adults. Young adults exhibited greater dizziness upon standing (young subjects, 3 out of 10 arbitrary units (AU) vs. middle-aged subjects, 2 out of 10 AU), with four terminating the protocol early owing to dizziness or discomfort. Despite middle-aged adults being largely asymptomatic, both age groups had transient impairments in postural sway after immersion (P < 0.05), but no change in cognitive function (P = 0.58). Middle-aged adults reported lower thermal sensation, higher thermal comfort, and higher basic affect than young adults (all P < 0.01).Cooling mitigation trials had 100% completion rates, with improvements in sit-tostand dizziness (P < 0.01, arms in, 3 out of 10 AU vs. arms out, 2 out of 10 AU vs. fan, 4 out 10 AU), lower thermal sensation (P = 0.04), higher thermal comfort (P < 0.01) and higher basic affect (P = 0.02). Middle-aged adults were predominantly asymptomatic, and cooling strategies prevented severe dizziness and thermal intolerance in younger adults.

The timing of carbohydrate ingestion and how this influences net muscle glycogen utilization and fatigue has only been investigated in prolonged cycling. Past findings may not translate to running because each exercise mode is distinct both in the metabolic response to carbohydrate ingestion and in the practicalities of carbohydrate ingestion. To this end, a randomized, cross-over design was employed to contrast ingestion of the same sucrose dose either at frequent intervals (15 × 5 g every 5 min) or at a late bolus (1 × 75 g after 75 min) during prolonged treadmill running to exhaustion in six well-trained runners ( 61 ± 4 ml·kg−1·min−1). The muscle glycogen utilization rate was lower in every participant over the first 75 min of running (Δ 0.51 mmol·kg dm−1·min−1; 95% confidence interval [−0.02, 1.04] mmol·kg dm−1·min−1) and, subsequently, all were able to run for longer when carbohydrate had been ingested frequently from the start of exercise compared with when carbohydrate was ingested as a single bolus toward the end of exercise (105.6 ± 3.0 vs. 96.4 ± 5.0 min, respectively; Δ 9.3 min, 95% confidence interval [2.8, 15.8] min). A moderate positive correlation was apparent between the magnitude of glycogen sparing over the first 75 min and the improvement in running capacity (r = .58), with no significant difference in muscle glycogen concentrations at the point of exhaustion. This study indicates that failure to ingest carbohydrates from the outset of prolonged running increases reliance on limited endogenous muscle glycogen stores—the ergolytic effects of which cannot be rectified by subsequent carbohydrate ingestion late in exercise.