Relationship Between Various Training-Load Measures in Elite Cyclists During Training, Road Races, and Time Trials

Abstract

Purpose: The relationship between various training-load (TL) measures in professional cycling is not well explored. This study investigated the relationship between mechanical energy spent (in kilojoules), session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), Lucia training impulse (LuTRIMP), and training stress score (TSS) in training, races, and time trials (TT). Methods: For 4 consecutive years, field data were collected from 21 professional cyclists and categorized as being collected in training, racing, or TTs. Kilojoules (kJ) spent, sRPE, LuTRIMP, and TSS were calculated, and the correlations between the various TLs were made. Results: 11,655 sessions were collected, from which 7596 sessions had heart-rate data and 5445 sessions had an RPE score available. The r between the various TLs during training was almost perfect. The r between the various TLs during racing was almost perfect or very large. The r between the various TLs during TTs was almost perfect or very large. For all relationships between TSS and 1 of the other measurements of TL (kJ spent, sRPE, and LuTRIMP), a significant different slope was found. Conclusion: kJ spent, sRPE, LuTRIMP, and TSS all have a large or almost perfect relationship with each other during training, racing, and TTs, but during racing, both sRPE and LuTRIMP have a weaker relationship with kJ spent and TSS. Furthermore, the significant different slope of TSS vs the other measurements of TL during training and racing has the effect that TSS collected in training and road races differs by 120%, whereas the other measurements of TL (kJ spent, sRPE, and LuTRIMP) differ by only 73%, 67%, and 68%, respectively.

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“…This may explain why all classes, regardless to the intensity or performance of instructors, were carried out in a moderate zone of intensity. The importance of manipulation in training loads and adequate management of stimulus/rest are related to promote physiological adaptations (Foster et al, 1996;Hartmann et al, 2015;Coyne et al, 2018;Van Erp et al, 2018), exercise adherence (Colon et al, 2016;Fisher et al, 2016;Colon et al, 2018), prevention of injuries and overtraining-related syndromes Meeusen et al, 2013;Hulin et al, 2014;Brink et al, 2014;Coyne et al, 2018), which are well established in literature. However, it is not possible if coaches do not have accurate information about what their athletes/practitioners are actually doing.…”

“…TL is a significant parameter for monitoring athletes by coaches and scientists (Van Erp et al, 2018), which demands to be high enough to make a stimulus for adaptation (Foster et al, 1996). However, very large values for chronic TL or maintaining the same TL for long periods of training are related with overtraining syndrome (Meeusen et al, 2013) and injuries (Hulin et al, 2014).…”

“…Training programs are usually based on evaluations of external load (e.g. power output, time or distance completed or amount of throws) (Van Erp et al, 2018). Though, internal training load (ITL) as a relative physiological stress that imposed on athletes, is a more important determinant principle of the stimulus for training adaptation than external TL (Viru & Viru, 2000).…”

“…Though, internal training load (ITL) as a relative physiological stress that imposed on athletes, is a more important determinant principle of the stimulus for training adaptation than external TL (Viru & Viru, 2000). The most common methods based on evaluations of the ITL are heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (Impellizzeri et al, 2005;Coutts et al, 2007;Van Erp et al, 2018) and blood lactate (Halson, 2014). HR is mostly used to determine TL because the method is widely accessible, noninvasive and no cost.…”

Aerobic capacity predicts skeletal but not cardiac muscle damage after a full distance Ironman triathlon - the Iron(wo)man-study

“…Higher aerobic power outputs demand higher cardiac outputs, which leads to increased cardiac stress. In fact, the rate of perceived exertion is a reliable predictor of training stress [17] which implicates that athletes automatically adapt the aerobic output to the aerobic capacity. The lack of positive association between aerobic capacity and cardiac damage could therefore be seen as indirect evidence that aerobic capacity actually is protective of cardiac damage if the required time and power output is constant.…”