The Effects of Visual Feedback on Performance in Heart Rate- and Power-Based-Tasks during a Constant Load Cycling Test

Performance feedback can be essential for cyclists to help with pacing their efforts during competitions and also during standardized performance tests. However, the choice of feedback options on modern bike computers is limited. Moreover, little research on the effectiveness of the currently used feedback methods is available. In this study, two novel feedback variants using a bar or a tacho to visualize targets and deviation from targets were compared to a classic design using only numbers. Participants (6 female and 25 male trained to well-trained athletes) completed a protocol consisting of three heart rate-based tasks and one power-based task. The displays were compared with respect to their ability to guide athletes during their trials. Results showed lower root mean square error (RMSE) of the novel variants, but no significant effect of feedback variant on RMSE was found for both tasks (p > 0.05). However, when comparing the feedback variants on a person to person basis, significant differences were found for all investigated scenarios (p < 0.001). This leads to the conclusion that novel feedback variants can improve athletes’ ability to follow heart rate-based and power-based protocols, but even better results might be achieved by individualizing the feedback.

Challenging the Resin-Zirconia Interface by Thermal Cycling or Mechanical Load Cycling or Their Combinations

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of mechanical load cycling (MLC), which simulated mastication, alone or combined with thermal cycling (TC), on the resin shear bond strength (SBS) to zirconia. Two resin cements (Panavia F2.0 and RelyX U200) were bonded (bonding area: 2.38 mm) to air-abraded zirconia (Everest ZS-Ronde). The specimens were subjected to SBS test before and after TC (5000 cycles), MLC (5000 cycles in 37 °C water), TC/MLC, or MLC/TC aging (n = 15). Before SBS test, the mechanical and physical properties of the two resin cements were studied (n = 5). For both resins, unlike TC (p > 0.05), the three MLC-containing aging conditions significantly decreased the SBS values when compared to the non-aged condition (p < 0.05). In the case of MLC-only aging, RelyX U200, with significantly higher hydrophobicity (p = 0.004), showed a significantly higher SBS value than Panavia F2.0 (p = 0.035). The MLC aging-containing groups showed increased occurrence of mixed failure. The application of MLC combined with TC may more closely simulate intraoral conditions.