Reproducibility of the Cycling Time to Exhaustion at in Highly Trained Cyclists
The purpose of the present study was to examine, in highly trained cyclists, the reproducibility of cycling time to exhaustion (Tmax) at the power output equal to that attained at peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) during a progressive exercise test. Forty-three highly trained male cyclists (M ± SD; age = 25 + 6 yrs; weight = 75 ± 7 kg; [Formula: see text] = 64.8 ± 5.2 mlùkg−1•min−1) performed two Tmax tests one week apart. While the two measures of Tmax were strongly related (r = 0.884; p < 0.001), Tmax from the second test (245 ± 57 s) was significantly higher than that of the first (237 ± 57 s; p = 0.047; two-tailed). Within-subject variability in the present study was calculated to be 6 ± 6%, which was lower than that previously reported for Tmax in sub-elite runners (25%). The mean Tmax was significantly (p < 0.05) related to both the second ventilatory turnpoint (VT2; r = 0.38) and to [Formula: see text] (r = 0.34). Despite a relatively low within-subject coefficient of variation, these data demonstrate that the second score in a series of two Tmax tests may be significantly greater than the first. Moreover, the present data show that Tmax in highly trained cyclists is moderately related to VT2 and [Formula: see text]Key words: maximal aerobic power, endurance, fatigue, anaerobic threshold, cycling performance