An Extreme Mountain Ultra-Marathon Decreases the Cost of Uphill Walking and Running

Purpose: To examine the effects of the world's most challenging mountain ultramarathon (MUM, 330 km, cumulative elevation gain of +24,000 m) on the energy cost and kinematics of different uphill gaits.

Methods: Before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) the competition, 19 male athletes performed three submaximal 5-min treadmill exercise trials in a randomized order: walking at 5 km·h⁻¹, +20%; running at 6 km·h⁻¹, +15%; and running at 8 km·h⁻¹, +10%. During the three trials, energy cost was assessed using an indirect calorimetry system and spatiotemporal gait parameters were acquired with a floor-level high-density photoelectric cells system.

Results: The average time of the study participants to complete the MUM was 129 h 43 min 48 s (range: 107 h 29 min 24 s to 144 h 21 min 0 s). Energy costs in walking (−11.5 ± 5.5%, P < 0.001), as well as in the first (−7.2 ± 3.1%, P = 0.01) and second (−7.0 ± 3.9%, P = 0.02) running condition decreased between PRE and POST, with a reduction both in the heart rate (−11.3, −10.0, and −9.3%, respectively) and oxygen uptake only for the walking condition (−6.5%). No consistent and significant changes in the kinematics variables were detected (P-values from 0.10 to 0.96).

Conclusion: Though fatigued after completing the MUM, the subjects were still able to maintain their uphill locomotion patterns noted at PRE. The decrease (improvement) in the energy costs was likely due to the prolonged and repetitive walking/running, reflecting a generic improvement in the mechanical efficiency of locomotion after ~130 h of uphill locomotion rather than constraints imposed by the activity on the musculoskeletal structure and function.

Muscle and tendon stiffness and belly gearing positively correlate with rate of torque development during explosive fixed end contractions

We combined ultrafast-ultrasound with dynamometric measurements to assess the associations between muscle structural properties and the rate of torque development (RTD) during isometric explosive fixed-end plantar flexor contractions. The torque-time signal was recorded for the plantaflexor muscles in fifteen men and the peak value of RTD was obtained. Tendon stiffness (kT) and muscle stiffness (kM) of the Gastrocnemius Medialis (GM) were assessed during maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) and quick release using ultrafast ultrasound (1000 Hz). During the explosive contraction, the GM geometrical changes were recorded and the belly gearing (belly velocity/fascicle velocity) was calculated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between variables, whereas equality of correlation coefficients between RTD and kT and kM was tested by means of the Hotelling's statistics. During explosive contraction, kT was higher than kM (~55 and ~30 N⋅mm^-1, respectively). RTD positively correlated with kM (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), kT (r = 0.58, p = 0.044) and belly gearing (r = 0.78, p < 0.001). However, Hotelling's test showed no significant differences between the correlation coefficients between RTD and muscle and tendon stiffness. Further, belly gearing was significantly positively correlated with kM only (r = 0.79, p < 0.001). Our data suggest that muscle and tendon stiffness are similarly associated with RTD. Given the association with belly gearing, muscle stiffness seems to play an important role in determining the muscle length changes, thereby affecting the muscle force transmission capacity during the transient phases.

Estimating an individual's oxygen uptake during cycling exercise with a recurrent neural network trained from easy-to-obtain inputs: A pilot study

Measurement of oxygen uptake during exercise ([Formula: see text]) is currently non-accessible to most individuals without expensive and invasive equipment. The goal of this pilot study was to estimate cycling [Formula: see text] from easy-to-obtain inputs, such as heart rate, mechanical power output, cadence and respiratory frequency. To this end, a recurrent neural network was trained from laboratory cycling data to predict [Formula: see text] values. Data were collected on 7 amateur cyclists during a graded exercise test, two arbitrary protocols (Prot-1 and -2) and an "all-out" Wingate test. In Trial-1, a neural network was trained with data from a graded exercise test, Prot-1 and Wingate, before being tested against Prot-2. In Trial-2, a neural network was trained using data from the graded exercise test, Prot-1 and 2, before being tested against the Wingate test. Two analytical models (Models 1 and 2) were used to compare the predictive performance of the neural network. Predictive performance of the neural network was high during both Trial-1 (MAE = 229(35) mlO2min-1, r = 0.94) and Trial-2 (MAE = 304(150) mlO2min-1, r = 0.89). As expected, the predictive ability of Models 1 and 2 deteriorated from Trial-1 to Trial-2. Results suggest that recurrent neural networks have the potential to predict the individual [Formula: see text] response from easy-to-obtain inputs across a wide range of cycling intensities.

Delayed parasympathetic reactivation and sympathetic withdrawal following maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in hypoxia

PURPOSE

This study investigated the effects of acute hypoxic exposure on post-exercise cardiac autonomic modulation following maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

METHODS

Thirteen healthy men performed CPET and recovery in normoxia (N) and normobaric hypoxia (H) (FiO₂ = 13.4%, ≈ 3500 m). Post-exercise cardiac autonomic modulation was assessed during recovery (300 s) through the analysis of fast-phase and slow-phase heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) indices.

RESULTS

Both short-term, T30 (mean difference (MD) 60.0 s, 95% CI 18.2-101.8, p = 0.009, ES 1.01), and long-term, HRRt (MD 21.7 s, 95% CI 4.1-39.3, p = 0.020, ES 0.64), time constants of HRR were higher in H. Fast-phase (30 and 60 s) and slow-phase (300 s) HRR indices were reduced in H either when expressed in bpm or in percentage of HR_peak (p < 0.05). Chronotropic reserve recovery was lower in H than in N at 30 s (MD - 3.77%, 95% CI - 7.06 to - 0.49, p = 0.028, ES - 0.80) and at 60 s (MD - 7.23%, 95% CI - 11.45 to - 3.01, p = 0.003, ES - 0.81), but not at 300 s (p = 0.436). Concurrently, Ln-RMSSD was reduced in H at 60 and 90 s (p < 0.01) but not at other time points during recovery (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Affected fast-phase, slow-phase HRR and HRV indices suggested delayed parasympathetic reactivation and sympathetic withdrawal after maximal exercise in hypoxia. However, a similar cardiac autonomic recovery was re-established within 5 min after exercise cessation. These findings have several implications in cardiac autonomic recovery interpretation and in HR assessment in response to high-intensity hypoxic exercise.

Oxynet: A collective intelligence that detects ventilatory thresholds in cardiopulmonary exercise tests

The problem of the automatic determination of the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) from cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) still leads to controversy. The reliability of the gold standard methodology (i.e. expert visual inspection) feeds into the debate and several authors call for more objective automatic methods to be used in the clinical practice. In this study, we present a framework based on a collaborative approach, where a web-application was used to crowd-source a large number (1245) of CPET data of individuals with different aerobic fitness. The resulting database was used to train and test an artificial intelligence (i.e. a convolutional neural network) algorithm. This automatic classifier is currently implemented in another web-application and was used to detect the ventilatory thresholds in the available CPET. A total of 206 CPET were used to evaluate the accuracy of the estimations against the expert opinions. The neural network was able to detect the ventilatory thresholds with an average mean absolute error of 178 (198) mlO₂/min (11.1%, r = 0.97) and 144 (149) mlO₂/min (6.1%, r = 0.99), for VT1 and VT2 respectively. The performance of the neural network in detecting VT1 deteriorated in case of individuals with poor aerobic fitness. Our results suggest the potential for a collective intelligence system to outperform isolated experts in ventilatory thresholds detection. However, the inclusion of a larger number of VT1 examples certified by a community of experts will be likely needed before the abilities of this collective intelligence can be translated into the clinical use of CPET.

Cardiac Autonomic and Physiological Responses to Moderate- intensity Exercise in Hypoxia

Exercise physiological responses can be markedly affected by acute hypoxia. We investigated cardiac autonomic and physiological responses to different hypoxic training protocols. Thirteen men performed three exercise sessions (5×5-min; 1-min passive recovery): normoxic exercise at 80% of the power output (PO) at the first ventilatory threshold (N), hypoxic exercise (FiO₂=14.2%) with the same PO as N (HPO) and hypoxic exercise at the same heart rate (HR) as N (HHR). PO was lower in HHR (21.1±9.3%) compared to N and HPO. Mean HR was higher in HPO (154±11 bpm, p<0.01) than N and HHR (139±10 vs. 138±9 bpm; p=0.80). SpO₂ was reduced (p<0.01) to a similar extent (p>0.05) in HPO and HHR compared to N. HR recovery (HRR) and HR variability indices were similar in N and HHR (p>0.05) but reduced in HPO (p<0.05), mirroring a delayed parasympathetic reactivation. Blood lactate and ventilation were similar in N and HHR (p>0.05) and increased in HPO (p<0.001). During recovery oxygen consumption and ventilation were similar in N and HHR (p>0.05) and increased in HPO (p<0.01). Moderate HR-matched hypoxic exercise triggers similar cardiac autonomic and physiological responses to normoxic exercise with a reduced mechanical load. On the contrary, the same absolute intensity exercise in hypoxia is associated with increased exercise-induced metabolic stress and delayed cardiac autonomic recovery.

Similar cardiovascular and autonomic responses in trained type 1 diabetes mellitus and healthy participants in response to half marathon

AIMS

This field experiment examined whether trained people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) have similar cardiovascular and baroreflex alterations after a 21-km running race when compared to healthy people.

METHODS

Nine T1D (39.0 ± 11.1 yr; 175.0 ± 10.2 cm; 70.8 ± 8.7 kg) were matched with 9 healthy participants (42.4 ± 5.8 yr; 175.7 ± 6.7 cm; 72.1 ± 8.5 kg) who ran an official half-marathon. Before and 1-hour after the race, cardiovascular variables, sympathetic activity (catecholamines), parasympathetic (heart rate variability analysis) modulation and cardiac baroreflex function (transfer function analysis) were assessed during supine rest and a squat stand test (forced blood pressure change).

RESULTS

Performance time and weight loss [104.0 ± 13.2 and 111.0 ± 18.7 min; -2.57 ± 1.05 kg (-1.88 ± 0.88%) and -2.29 ± 1.15 kg (-1.59 ± 0.59%)] for healthy and T1D participants, respectively) were similar. Before running, no significant differences in any cardiovascular or autonomic variables were noted between the groups. After 1 h of recovery, both groups exhibited post-exercise hypotension, accompanied by increased sympathetic activity, decreased parasympathetic modulation, and reduced cardiac baroreflex sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that the pattern of change in cardiovascular and autonomic nervous activity to strenuous exercise are well maintained in T1D participants with a training history of at least 5 years.

Full characterisation of knee extensors' function in ageing: effect of sex and obesity

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Muscle function is a marker of current and prospective health/independence throughout life. The effects of sex and obesity (OB) on the loss of muscle function in ageing remain unresolved, with important implications for the diagnosis/monitoring of sarcopenia. To characterise in vivo knee extensors' function, we compared muscles torque and power with isometric and isokinetic tests in older men (M) and women (W), with normal range (NW) of body mass index (BMI) and OB.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

In 70 sedentary older M and W (69 ± 5 years), NW and OB (i.e. BMI < 30 kg m^-2 and ≥30 kg m^-2, respectively) we tested the right knee's extensor: (i) isometric torque at 30°, 60°, 75° and 90° knee angles, and (ii) isokinetic concentric torque at 60, 90, 150, 180 and 210° s^-1 angular speeds. Maximal isometric T-angle, maximal isokinetic knee-extensor torque-velocity, theoretical maximal shortening velocity, maximal power, optimal torque and velocity were determined in absolute units, normalised by body mass (BM) and right leg lean mass (LLM_R) and compared over sex, BMI categories and angle or angular speeds by three-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

In absolute units, relative to BM and LLM_R, sex differences were found in favour of M for all parameters of muscle function (main effect for sex, p < 0.05). OB did not affect either absolute or relative to LLM_R isometric and isokinetic muscle function (main effect for BMI, p > 0.05); however, muscle function indices, when adjusted for BM, were lower in both M and W with OB compared to NW counterparts (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed sex differences in absolute, relative to BM and LLM_R muscle function in favour of men. While overall muscle function and muscle contractile quality is conserved in individuals with class I OB, muscle function normalised for BM, which defines the ability to perform independently and safely the activities of daily living, is impaired in comparison with physiological ageing.

Machine Learning Models for the Automatic Detection of Exercise Thresholds in Cardiopulmonary Exercising Tests: From Regression to Generation to Explanation

The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) constitutes a gold standard for the assessment of an individual's cardiovascular fitness. A trend is emerging for the development of new machine-learning techniques applied to the automatic process of CPET data. Some of these focus on the precise task of detecting the exercise thresholds, which represent important physiological parameters. Three are the major challenges tackled by this contribution: (A) regression (i.e., the process of correctly identifying the exercise intensity domains and their crossing points); (B) generation (i.e., the process of artificially creating a CPET data file ex-novo); and (C) explanation (i.e., proving an interpretable explanation about the output of the machine learning model). The following methods were used for each challenge: (A) a convolutional neural network adapted for multi-variable time series; (B) a conditional generative adversarial neural network; and (C) visual explanations and calculations of model decisions have been conducted using cooperative game theory (Shapley's values). The results for the regression, generation, and explanatory techniques for AI-assisted CPET interpretation are presented here in a unique framework for the first time: (A) machine learning techniques reported an expert-level accuracy in the classification of exercise intensity domains; (B) experts are not able to substantially differentiate between a real vs an artificially generated CPET; and (C) Shapley's values can provide an explanation about the choices of the algorithms in terms of ventilatory variables. With the aim to increase their technology-readiness level, all the models discussed in this contribution have been incorporated into a free-to-use Python package called pyoxynet (ver. 12.1). This contribution should therefore be of interest to major players operating in the CPET device market and engineering.

Shortening Work-Rest Durations Reduces Physiological and Perceptual Load During Uphill Walking in Simulated Cold High-Altitude Conditions

Fornasiero, Alessandro, Aldo Savoldelli, Federico Stella, Alexa Callovini, Lorenzo Bortolan, Andrea Zignoli, David A. Low, Laurent Mourot, Federico Schena, and Barbara Pellegrini. Shortening work-rest durations reduces physiological and perceptual load during uphill walking in simulated cold high-altitude conditions. High Alt Med Biol. 21:249-257, 2020. Background: We investigated the effects of two different work-rest durations on the physiological and perceptual responses to a simulated mountain hike in a cold hypoxic environment. Materials and Methods: Twelve healthy nonacclimatized active men (age 31.3 ± 5.3 years, body mass index 22.4 ± 1.5 kg/m2) completed a 80-minute work-matched intermittent exercise on a motorized treadmill (25% incline, fixed self-selected speed), in a simulated mountain environment (-25°C, FiO2 = 11%, ≈5000 m a.s.l.), wearing extreme cold weather gear, once with short (20 × 3 minutes walking with 1 minute rest; SHORT) and once with long (10 × 6 minutes walking with 2 minutes rest; LONG) work-rest durations. Heart rate (HR), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and thermal sensation (TS) were assessed throughout the exercise protocols. Cardiac autonomic modulation was assessed before (PRE) and after exercise (POST) in supine position, as well as during standing resting periods by means of HR recovery (HRR) assessment. Results: SpO2 and TS were similar (p > 0.05) in SHORT and LONG protocols. HR and RPE were increased, and HRR reduced during LONG compared to SHORT (p < 0.05). Parasympathetic activity indices were reduced at POST after both protocols (p < 0.05), but to a lesser extent after SHORT (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Reduced work-rest durations are associated with improved perceptual responses and less perturbation of cardiac autonomic balance, compared to longer work-rest durations. Shorter exercise periods from more frequent breaks during hikes at high altitude may represent a valid strategy to limit the impact of exercise under extreme environmental conditions.

Assessment of bike handling during cycling individual time trials with a novel analytical technique adapted from motorcycle racing

A methodology to study bike handling of cyclists during individual time trials (ITT) is presented. Lateral and longitudinal accelerations were estimated from GPS data of professional cyclists (n=53) racing in two ITT of different length and technical content. Acceleration points were plotted on a plot (g-g diagram) and they were enclosed in an ellipse. A correlation analysis was conducted between the area of the ellipse and the final ITT ranking. It was hypothesized that a larger area was associated to a better performance. An analytical model for the bike-cyclist system dynamics was used to conduct a parametric analysis on the influence of riding position on the shape of the g-g diagram. A moderate (n=27, r=-0.40, p=0.038) and a very large (n=26, r=-0.83, p<0.0001) association were found between the area of the enclosing ellipse and the final ranking in the two ITT. Interestingly, this association was larger in the shorter race with higher technical content. The analytical model suggested that maximal decelerations are highly influenced by the cycling position, road slope and speed. This investigation, for the first time, explores a novel methodology that can provide insights into bike handling, a large unexplored area of cycling performance.

Association between pre-exercise food ingestion timing and reactive hypoglycemia: Insights from a large database of continuous glucose monitoring data

Using a large database of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data, this study aimed to gain insights into the association between pre-exercise food ingestion timing and reactive hypoglycemia. A group of 6,761 users self-reported 48,799 pre-exercise food ingestion events and logged minute-by-minute CGM, which was used to detect reactive hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL) in the first 30 min of exercise. A linear and a non-linear binomial logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between food ingestion timing and the probability of experiencing reactive hypoglycemia. An analysis of variance was conducted to compare the predictive ability of the models. On average, reactive hypoglycemia was detected in 8.34 ± 3.04% of the total events, with <15% of individuals experiencing hypoglycemia in >20% of their events. The majority of the reactive hypoglycemia events were found with pre-exercise food timing between ∼30 and ∼90 min, with a peak at ∼60 min. The superior accuracy (62.05 vs 45.1%) and F-score (0.75 vs 0.59) of the non-linear vs the linear model were statistically superior (P < 0.0001). These results support the notion of an unfavourable 30-to-90 min pre-exercise food ingestion time window which can significantly impact the likelihood of reactive hypoglycemia in some individuals.

Minimum Overnight Interstitial Glucose Concentration in Professional Cyclists During Two Consecutive Annual Training Camps: The Limited Impact of Daily Exercise Energy Expenditure

This observational study investigated the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in a team of professional cyclists without diabetes during two consecutive annual training camps. The goal of the study was twofold: to present the aggregated CGM metrics such as day/overnight CGM average (DAYAVG/OVNAVG) for this group of professional cyclists and to study the association between exercise energy expenditure (megajoules per day), carbohydrate intake (grams), and minimum overnight CGM values (millimoles per liter). Linear mixed models were employed in the analysis. Data were available for 26 cyclists (22 participated in both training camps). CGM levels reported (DAYAVG = 6.37 ± 0.54 mmol/L and OVNAVG = 5.30 ± 0.52 mmol/L), are not typically seen in healthy individuals not engaged in intensive exercise routines. Results showed that minimum overnight CGM values significantly fluctuated throughout the training camp, but a statistically significant association between exercise energy expenditure (p = .0839) or carbohydrate intake (p = .059) and minimum overnight CGM values could not be detected. This research contributes to the literature on CGM use in professional athletes and underscores the need for further studies to fully understand the benefits and limitations of CGM to guide sports performance.

The effects of a 6-hour ultra-endurance run on postexercise parasympathetic reactivation responses

BACKGROUND

Alterations in cardiac autonomic control reflecting depressed parasympathetic activity have been previously reported after ultra-endurance events at rest and during dynamic tasks assessing cardiac autonomic responsiveness. This study investigated the impact of a 6-hour ultra-endurance run on parasympathetic reactivation indices, using an exercise-recovery transition approach.

METHODS

Nine trained runners (VO<inf>2max</inf> 67±12 mL/kg/min) completed a 6-hour run (EXP) whilst other six runners (VO<inf>2max</inf> 66±10 mL/kg/min) served as a control (CON). Before (PRE) and after the run/control period (POST) participants completed standard cardiac autonomic activity assessments. Postexercise parasympathetic reactivation was assessed by means of heart rate recovery (HRR) and vagal-related time-domain HRV indices.

RESULTS

HR was increased at rest (P<0.001, ES=3.53), during exercise (P<0.05, ES=0.38) and recovery (all P<0.001, ES from 0.91 to 1.46) at POST in EXP and not in CON (all P>0.05). At POST vagal-related HRV indices were significantly decreased at rest (P<0.001, ES from -2.38 to -3.54) and during postexercise recovery (all P<0.001, ES from -0.97 to -1.58) only in EXP. HRR at 30 and 60 s were markedly reduced at POST in EXP both when expressed in bpm and normalized for the exercising HR (all P<0.001, ES from -1.21 to -1.74).

CONCLUSIONS

A 6-hour run markedly impacted upon postexercise parasympathetic reactivation responses causing a decrease in HRR and HRV recovery indices. For the first time, this study attested blunted postexercise parasympathetic reactivation responses following an acute bout of ultra-endurance exercise.

Real World Interstitial Glucose Profiles of a Large Cohort of Physically Active Men and Women

The use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in individuals living without diabetes is increasing. The purpose of this study was to profile various CGM metrics around nutritional intake, sleep and exercise in a large cohort of physically active men and women living without any known metabolic disease diagnosis to better understand the normative glycemic response to these common stimuli. A total of 12,504 physically active adults (age 40 ± 11 years, BMI 23.8 ± 3.6 kg/m2; 23% self-identified as women) wore a real-time CGM (Abbott Libre Sense Sport Glucose Biosensor, Abbott, USA) and used a smartphone application (Supersapiens Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA) to log meals, sleep and exercise activities. A total of >1 M exercise events and 274,344 meal events were analyzed. A majority of participants (85%) presented an overall (24 h) average glucose profile between 90 and 110 mg/dL, with the highest glucose levels associated with meals and exercise and the lowest glucose levels associated with sleep. Men had higher mean 24 h glucose levels than women (24 h-men: 100 ± 11 mg/dL, women: 96 ± 10 mg/dL). During exercise, the % time above >140 mg/dL was 10.3 ± 16.7%, while the % time <70 mg/dL was 11.9 ± 11.6%, with the remaining % within the so-called glycemic tight target range (70-140 mg/dL). Average glycemia was also lower for females during exercise and sleep events (p < 0.001). Overall, we see small differences in glucose trends during activity and sleep in females as compared to males and higher levels of both TAR and TBR when these active individuals are undertaking or competing in endurance exercise training and/or competitive events.

Assessing Energy Availability and Glucose Dynamics in Adolescent Cyclists: Implications for Nutritional Interventions During the Competitive Season

BACKGROUND

The risk of developing a state of low energy availability (LEA) (<30 kcals/kg free-fat mass) in endurance athletes is known and recommendations for nutrition are available. However, information on male adolescent cyclists and the influence of hot temperatures is limited.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact on energy availability of two 4-day nutritional intervention strategies: (1) supplementary carbohydrate (CHO) intake during exercise and (2) designing and implementing individual nutritional interventions.

METHODS

Each intervention was preceded by a 4-day basal assessment. Eight competitive male junior road cyclists (aged 16-17 years) were investigated using a 4-day diet and activity records, alongside bioelectric impedance analysis. Their real-time power output, interstitial glucose, and temperature were recorded via sensors and a bike computer. Their energy intake (EI) was estimated from daily, self-reported food diaries.

RESULTS

Overall, 100% and 71% of the cyclists were in a state of LEA during the baseline assessment of the supplementary CHO and nutritional interventions, respectively. LEA prevalence, not modified by supplementary CHO intake alone (from 100% to 87%, ns), was markedly reduced by the individual nutritional intervention (from 71% to 14%, p < 0.05). When considering all the data as a whole, LEA was positively influenced by the training load (OR 1.06; 95% Cl 1.03 to 1.09) and free-fat mass (OR 1.46; 1.04 to 2.04) and was negatively affected by EI (OR 0.994; 0.991 to 0.997). A hot environment (air temperature) failed to influence the LEA or glucose dynamics.

CONCLUSIONS

the nutritional intervention, but not the supplementary CHO intake, markedly reduced the prevalence of LEA in adolescents, who often fail to match their energy expenditure with their energy intake during the competitive season. Nutritional education is essential for adolescent endurance cycling teams.

Eager to set a record in a vertical race? Test your VO2max first!

We investigated the relationship between maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max) and performance in vertical races (VRs). In total, 270 performances, from 26 VRs, and cardiopulmonary data of 64 highly-trained mountain runners (53 M, V O_2max: 75.7±5.8 mL/min/kg; 11 F: 65.7±3.4 mL/min/kg), collected over a 11-year period (2012-2022), were analysed. The relationship between performance and VO_2max was modelled separately for national (NVRs), international (IVRs), and VRs of current pole-unassisted and pole-assisted vertical kilometre (VK) records (RVRs). Three different (p<0.001) exponential models described the relationship between performance and VO_2max in IVRs (R²=0.96, p<0.001), NRs (R²=0.91, p<0.001) and RVRs (R²=0.97, p<0.001). Estimated VO_2max requirements (with 95% CI) to win/set a record time in IVRs were 86.2(85.3-87.1)/89.4(88.2-90.5) and 74.0(73.6-74.4)/76.8(76.4-77.3) mL/min/kg, for males and females, respectively, 86.1(85.0-87.1)/90.4(89.0-91.8) and 74.8(74.2-75.3)/77.1(77.6-77.7) mL/min/kg in RVRs, decreasing to 83.7(82.5-84.9)/87.6(86.0-89.2) and 66.8(65.9-67.7)/70.7(70.1-71.4) mL/min/kg in NVRs. Our study also suggested a tendency towards a non-uniform variation in the metabolic demand of off-road running, likely attributable to the different features of the VRs (e.g., terrain, technical level, use of poles). These data provide mean VO_2max requirements for mountain runners to win and establish new records in VRs and stimulate new research on the energy cost of off-road running.