The Characteristics of Endurance Events with a Variable Pacing Profile-Time to Embrace the Concept of "Intermittent Endurance Events"?

A variable pacing profile is common in different endurance events. In these races, several factors, such as changes in elevation or race dynamics, lead participants to perform numerous surges in intensity. These surges are so frequent that certain events, such as cross-country (XC) skiing, mountain biking (MTB), triathlon, and road cycling, have been termed "intermittent endurance events". The characteristics of these surges vary depending on the sport: MTB and triathlon require athletes to perform numerous short (<10 s) bouts; XC skiing require periods of short- and moderate-(30 s to 2 min) duration efforts, while road cycling is comprised of a mix of short-, moderate-, and long-duration (>2 min) bouts. These bouts occur at intensities above the maximal metabolic steady state (MMSS), with many efforts performed at intensities above the athletes' maximal aerobic power or speed (MAP/MAS) (i.e., supramaximal intensities). Given the factors that influence the requirement to perform surges in these events, athletes must be prepared to always engage in a race with a highly stochastic pace. The aim of this review is to characterize the variable pacing profile seen in endurance events and to discuss how the performance of multiple maximal and supramaximal surges in intensity can affect how athletes fatigue during a race and influence training strategies that can lead to success in these races.

The influence of race tactics for performance in the heats of an international sprint cross-country skiing competition

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of race tactics for performance in the heats of an international sprint cross-country (XC) skiing competition in the classical style. Thirty elite male XC skiers (age: 24±3 years, sprint International Ski Federation [FIS] points: 61±27) performed a sprint time-trial (STT) followed by one to three 'knock-out' heats on a 1.7 km racecourse. An integrated GNSS/IMU system was used to determine position, sub-technique distribution and kinematics. Positioning was analysed using the television broadcast of the race. STT rank correlated positively with the final rank [(rs (28) = .72, P = .001)]. The top-two finishers in each heat were on average ~3.8% slower in the heats compared to the STT (237.1±3.9 vs. 228.3±4.0 seconds, P = .001). On average, the skiers performed ~10 overtakings per 100 meters from the start to the last uphill segment but only ~3 overtakings per 100 meters in the last two segments in each heat. 93.8% of the top-two finishing skiers positioned themselves at top 2 before approaching the final uphill, in which the top-two finishers and the skiers ranked 3-4 were generally faster than those ranked 5-6 in the heats (both, P = .01). Here, top-four skiers employed 5.3% longer cycle lengths and 3.4% higher cycle rates in the diagonal sub-technique than skiers ranked 5-6 (all, P = .01). The present study demonstrates the importance of race tactics for performance in the heats of sprint XC skiing, in which the main performance-determining factors in the present racecourse were a front position when approaching the final uphill segment combined with the ability to ski fast in that segment. In general, this illustrates how accurate racecourse analyses may help skiers to optimize their race-individual race-strategies in the heats of sprint XC skiing competitions.

Power profiling and the power-duration relationship in cycling: a narrative review

Emerging trends in technological innovations, data analysis and practical applications have facilitated the measurement of cycling power output in the field, leading to improvements in training prescription, performance testing and race analysis. This review aimed to critically reflect on power profiling strategies in association with the power-duration relationship in cycling, to provide an updated view for applied researchers and practitioners. The authors elaborate on measuring power output followed by an outline of the methodological approaches to power profiling. Moreover, the deriving a power-duration relationship section presents existing concepts of power-duration models alongside exercise intensity domains. Combining laboratory and field testing discusses how traditional laboratory and field testing can be combined to inform and individualize the power profiling approach. Deriving the parameters of power-duration modelling suggests how these measures can be obtained from laboratory and field testing, including criteria for ensuring a high ecological validity (e.g. rider specialization, race demands). It is recommended that field testing should always be conducted in accordance with pre-established guidelines from the existing literature (e.g. set number of prediction trials, inter-trial recovery, road gradient and data analysis). It is also recommended to avoid single effort prediction trials, such as functional threshold power. Power-duration parameter estimates can be derived from the 2 parameter linear or non-linear critical power model: P(t) = W'/t + CP (W'-work capacity above CP; t-time). Structured field testing should be included to obtain an accurate fingerprint of a cyclist's power profile.

Evaluation of strategy and tactics in cycling: a systematic review of evaluation methods and possible performance implications

INTRODUCTION

Cycling performance is affected by many factors and is the expression of a multitude of variables. Different studies aiming to describe variables determining cycling performance are focused mainly on metabolic efficiency optimization and mechanical efficiency optimization. Strategy and tactics analysis in cycling represent a key additional performance variable, however, the knowledge of methods to assess these parameters and the possible performance implications is low. The main purposes of the study were to systematically review the state of the art related to strategy and tactics analysis in cycling and describe and analyze the possible implications and possible evaluation methods of tactics and strategy in cycling.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

MEDLINE®/PubMed and Scopus databases were searched with additional integration from external sources, between March and April 2020. To meet the inclusion criteria, studies published from 2000 to 2020 that evaluated the impact of strategies and/or tactics on cycling performance or aimed to study and develop strategy and/or tactic models to improve cycling performance were selected.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Starting from the 12972 identified records, totally 22 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the current systematic review. Studies emerged from the selection focused mainly on time trials strategies analysis (54.55%), track cycling strategy analysis (22.73%) and other cycling disciplines strategy evaluation (road cycling, mountain bike, cyclocross; 22.73%). According to the studies' objectives, four main topics of investigation emerged from the research: evaluation of the impact of different starting strategies on time-trial performance; evaluation of different pacing strategies on performance; evaluation of aerodynamics and drag coefficients according to racing strategy in team pursuit; application of video analysis or strategy/tactics effect on performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategy and tactics analysis in cycling represent a key additional performance variable to add to the traditionally more studied and analyzed parameters. However, few studies deeply analyzed these variables. Future works may focus on these aspects to investigate strategy and tactics insights and application of evaluation methods in cycling.

Pacing and Positioning Strategies During an Elite Fixed-Gear Cycling Criterium

Fixed-gear cycling performance during criteriums predominantly involves the aerobic system. Whether pacing is another important factor for performance is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to explore pacing and/or positioning strategies of fixed-gear riders during criteriums. Race results of an international fixed-gear criterium were analyzed (20 laps for women and 28 laps for men; laps = 1,270 m). Statistics were conducted on individuals lap time and positioning during the finals. Race pattern in women (n = 35) and men (n = 53) revealed that the faster laps (P < 0.05) were in the middle and at the end of the race and the slower laps (P < 0.05) were at the end of the race (laps 17–18 for women and lap 26 for men). The final ranking was significantly correlated with the mean race position (Kendall's tau = 0.664 and 0.689 for women and men, respectively). A coefficient of variation >50% revealed an important positioning variability. The best riders are mostly amongst the first during the race. However, the others exhibited larger mean position variations during the first half of the race. Our results demonstrated variable pacing strategies during fixed-gear criteriums. Although some riders had economical drafting strategies during the first half of the race, riding placed ahead during the whole race seemed to be an essential performance factor.

Determinants of Cycling Performance: a Review of the Dimensions and Features Regulating Performance in Elite Cycling Competitions

BACKGROUND

A key tenet of sports performance research is to provide coaches and athletes with information to inform better practice, yet the determinants of athletic performance in actual competition remain an under-examined and under-theorised field. In cycling, the effects of contextual factors, presence of and interaction with opponents, environmental conditions, competition structure and socio-cultural, economic and authoritarian mechanisms on the performance of cyclists are not well understood.

OBJECTIVES

To synthesise published findings on the determinants of cyclists' behaviours and chances of success in elite competition.

METHODS

Four academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles. A total of 44 original research articles and 12 reviews met the inclusion criteria. Key findings were grouped and used to shape a conceptual framework of the determinants of performance.

RESULTS

The determinants of cycling performance were grouped into four dimensions: features related to the individual cyclist, tactical features emerging from the inter-personal dynamics between cyclists, strategic features related to competition format and the race environment and global features related to societal and organisational constraints. Interactions between these features were also found to shape cyclists' behaviours and chances of success.

CONCLUSION

Team managers, coaches, and athletes seeking to improve performance should give attention to features related not only to the individual performer, but also to features of the interpersonal, strategic, global dimensions and their interactions.

The Combined Effect of Aging and Performance Level on Pacing in Duathlon - the "ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships"

The role of age and performance level has been investigated in runners such as marathoners, but not in multi-sports athletes such as duathletes (running, cycling, and running). Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the combined effects of aging and performance level on pacing of duathletes competing in two different race distances. Pacing (defined as the relative contribution of cycling time, %, to the overall race time) was analyzed for 6,671 duathletes competing from 2003 to 2017 in the short distance race (10 km first run, 50 km cycling and 5 km second run) or long distance race (10 km first run, 150 km cycling and 30 km second run) of “Powerman Zofingen,” the “ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.” Men were faster, older, and spent less time (%) in cycling than women in both distances races (p < 0.001). Younger age groups spent more time (%) in cycling than their older counterparts in women (both short and long distance, p = 0.036, η_p² = 0.031, p = 0.025, η_p² = 0.044, respectively) and men (long distance race, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.016). Fast performance groups spent more time (%) in cycling than their slower counterparts in short (women, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.057; men, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.035) and long distance (women, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.070; men, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.052). A small age group × performance group interaction on cycling time (%) was observed in the men’s short distance (p = 0.001, η_p² = 0.020) – but not in the long distance or in women – with smaller differences between performance groups in the older than in the younger age groups. Women, young and fast duathletes were relatively slower in cycling than men, old and slow duathletes; that was, old duathletes were relatively faster in cycling than in running. Moreover, there was indication that the difference in pacing among performance groups might be attenuated with aging. Since fast duathletes were relatively faster in running than in cycling, slow duathletes should be encouraged to cycle slower and run faster.

Pacing Decision Making in Sport and the Effects of Interpersonal Competition: A Critical Review

An athlete's pacing strategy is widely recognised as an essential determinant for performance during individual events. Previous research focussed on the importance of internal bodily state feedback, revealed optimal pacing strategies in time-trial exercise, and explored concepts such as teleoanticipation and template formation. Recently, human-environment interactions have additionally been emphasized as a crucial determinant for pacing, yet how they affect pacing is not well understood. Therefore, this literature review focussed on exploring one of the most important human-environment interactions in sport competitions: the interaction among competitors. The existing literature regarding the regulation of exercise intensity and the effect of competition on pacing and performance is critically reviewed in this paper. The PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science electronic databases were searched for studies about pacing in sports and (interpersonal) competition between January 2000 to October 2017, using the following combination of terms: (1) Sports AND (2) Pacing, resulting in 75 included papers. The behaviour of opponents was shown to be an essential determinant in the regulation of exercise intensity, based on both observational (N = 59) and experimental (N = 16) studies. However, adjustment in the pacing response related to other competitors appears to depend on the competitive situation and the current internal state of the athlete. The findings of this review emphasize the importance of what is happening around the athlete for the outcome of the decision-making process involved in pacing, and highlight the necessity to incorporate human-environment interactions into models that attempt to explain the regulation of exercise intensity in sports and exercise.