Physiological and anthropometric determinants of critical power, W′ and the reconstitution of W′ in trained and untrained male cyclists

Chorley, Alan; Bott, Richard; Marwood, Simon; Lamb, Kevin L.

doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04459-6

Cited by 14 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Recent evidence points toward a bi-phasic recovery, enabling rapid recovery of one fraction of W ', followed by a slower recovery of the remaining fraction ( Caen et al, 2021 ). Moreover, a progressive decrease in W' recovery effectiveness during intermittent exercise has recently been suggested, which could account for the decrease in degree of W' expenditure between rounds ( Figure 4 ; Chorley et al, 2019 , 2020 ). As discussed by Gløersen et al (2020) , these two points may explain why athletes in intermittent endurance sports typically choose to expend only a small fraction of their anaerobic energy resources within a supra-maximal bout.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Progressive fatigue development could explain the gradual shift toward less intensive PO relative to CP, resisting accumulation of metabolites that could be detrimental to performance ( Chidnok et al, 2013 ; Davies et al, 2017 ; Hays et al, 2018 ). Indeed, earlier studies have demonstrated that an intermittent workload allows for a greater amount of work done > CP than does a constant workload ( Skiba et al, 2012 ; Chidnok et al, 2013 ; Chorley et al, 2020 ), as long as workloads < CP are available for recovery of W '. The observations from this study showed frequent bouts with various degrees of W' expenditure ( Figures 1B , 4 ), tending to a lower degree of W' expended in later rounds ( Figure 4 ; Table 2 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exercise Intensity and Pacing Pattern During a Cross-Country Olympic Mountain Bike Race

et al. 2021

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Objective: To examine the power profiles and pacing patterns in relation to critical power (CP) and maximal aerobic power (MAP) output during a cross-country Olympic (XCO) mountain bike race.Methods: Five male and two female national competitive XCO cyclists completed a UCI Cat. 1 XCO race. The races were 19 km and 23 km and contained five (female) and six (male) laps, respectively. Power output (PO) during the race was measured with the cyclists’ personal power meters. On two laboratory tests using their own bikes and power meters, CP and work capacity above CP (W') were calculated using three time trials of 12, 7, and 3 min, while MAP was established based on a 3-step submaximal test and the maximal oxygen uptake from the 7-min time trial.Results: Mean PO over the race duration (96 ± 7 min) corresponded to 76 ± 9% of CP and 63 ± 4% of MAP. 40 ± 8% of race time was spent with PO > CP, and the mean duration and magnitude of the bouts >CP was ~8 s and ~120% of CP. From the first to last lap, time >CP and accumulated W' per lap decreased with 9 ± 6% and 45 ± 17%, respectively. For single >CP bouts, mean magnitude and mean W' expended decreased by 25 ± 8% and 38 ± 15% from the first to the last lap, respectively. Number and duration of bouts did not change significantly between laps.Conclusion: The highly variable pacing pattern in XCO implies the need for rapid changes in metabolic power output, as a result of numerous separate short-lived >CP actions which decrease in magnitude in later laps, but with little lap-to-lap variation in number and duration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exercise Intensity and Pacing Pattern During a Cross-Country Olympic Mountain Bike Race

et al. 2021

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“…Furthermore, despite W being associated with thigh muscle size [97,98], . VO 2max [99] and the magnitude of the delta between . VO 2max and CP [99,100], the underlying physiological determinants of W remain largely unknown, necessitating that modelling be conducted on experimental data.…”

Section: W Reconstitutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…VO 2max [99] and the magnitude of the delta between . VO 2max and CP [99,100], the underlying physiological determinants of W remain largely unknown, necessitating that modelling be conducted on experimental data. Such a model was developed by Skiba, et al [101], derived from an intermittent cycling protocol of 60 s severe intensity exercise and 30 s at different recovery intensities over four trials.…”

Section: W Reconstitutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study investigating the physiological and anthropometric characteristics associated with the rate of W reconstitution [99], revealed that measures of aerobic fitness were related to W reconstitution, particularly in trained cyclists. Whilst CP was confirmed as having a positive relationship with W (as per the Skiba1 model for τ W ), a stronger relationship with .…”

Section: W Reconstitutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Application of Critical Power, the Work Capacity above Critical Power (W′), and Its Reconstitution: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Cycling Training Prescription

Chorley

Lamb

2020

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The two-parameter critical power (CP) model is a robust mathematical interpretation of the power–duration relationship, with CP being the rate associated with the maximal aerobic steady state, and W′ the fixed amount of tolerable work above CP available without any recovery. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the CP concept and the methodologies used to assess it, and to summarize the research applying it to intermittent cycle training techniques. CP and W′ are traditionally assessed using a number of constant work rate cycling tests spread over several days. Alternatively, both the 3-min all-out and ramp all-out protocols provide valid measurements of CP and W′ from a single test, thereby enhancing their suitability to athletes and likely reducing errors associated with the assumptions of the CP model. As CP represents the physiological landmark that is the boundary between heavy and severe intensity domains, it presents several advantages over the de facto arbitrarily defined functional threshold power as the basis for cycle training prescription at intensities up to CP. For intensities above CP, precise prescription is not possible based solely on aerobic measures; however, the addition of the W′ parameter does facilitate the prescription of individualized training intensities and durations within the severe intensity domain. Modelling of W′ reconstitution extends this application, although more research is needed to identify the individual parameters that govern W′ reconstitution rates and their kinetics.

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Bi-exponential modelling of $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ reconstitution kinetics in trained cyclists

et al. 2021

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Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the individual $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ W ′ reconstitution kinetics of trained cyclists following repeated bouts of incremental ramp exercise, and to determine an optimal mathematical model to describe $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ W ′ reconstitution. Methods Ten trained cyclists (age 41 ± 10 years; mass 73.4 ± 9.9 kg; $$\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2\max }$$ V ˙ O 2 max 58.6 ± 7.1 mL kg min−1) completed three incremental ramps (20 W min−1) to the limit of tolerance with varying recovery durations (15–360 s) on 5–9 occasions. $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ W ′ reconstitution was measured following the first and second recovery periods against which mono-exponential and bi-exponential models were compared with adjusted R2 and bias-corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc). Results A bi-exponential model outperformed the mono-exponential model of $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ W ′ reconstitution (AICc 30.2 versus 72.2), fitting group mean data well (adjR2 = 0.999) for the first recovery when optimised with parameters of fast component (FC) amplitude = 50.67%; slow component (SC) amplitude = 49.33%; time constant (τ)FC = 21.5 s; τSC = 388 s. Following the second recovery, W′ reconstitution reduced by 9.1 ± 7.3%, at 180 s and 8.2 ± 9.8% at 240 s resulting in an increase in the modelled τSC to 716 s with τFC unchanged. Individual bi-exponential models also fit well (adjR2 = 0.978 ± 0.017) with large individual parameter variations (FC amplitude 47.7 ± 17.8%; first recovery: (τ)FC = 22.0 ± 11.8 s; (τ)SC = 377 ± 100 s; second recovery: (τ)FC = 16.3.0 ± 6.6 s; (τ)SC = 549 ± 226 s). Conclusions W′ reconstitution kinetics were best described by a bi-exponential model consisting of distinct fast and slow phases. The amplitudes of the FC and SC remained unchanged with repeated bouts, with a slowing of W′ reconstitution confined to an increase in the time constant of the slow component.

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Physiological and anthropometric determinants of critical power, W′ and the reconstitution of W′ in trained and untrained male cyclists

Cited by 14 publications

References 36 publications

Exercise Intensity and Pacing Pattern During a Cross-Country Olympic Mountain Bike Race

Exercise Intensity and Pacing Pattern During a Cross-Country Olympic Mountain Bike Race

The Application of Critical Power, the Work Capacity above Critical Power (W′), and Its Reconstitution: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Implications for Cycling Training Prescription

Bi-exponential modelling of $$W^{^{\prime}}$$ reconstitution kinetics in trained cyclists

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