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. 2021 Dec 1;11(12):1326.
doi: 10.3390/life11121326.

Impact of a Cold Environment on the Performance of Professional Cyclists: A Pilot Study

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Impact of a Cold Environment on the Performance of Professional Cyclists: A Pilot Study

Florence Riera et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

The practice of physical activity in a variable climate during the same competition is becoming more and more common due to climate change and increasingly frequent climate disturbances. The main aim of this pilot study was to understand the impact of cold ambient temperature on performance factors during a professional cycling race. Six professional athletes (age = 27 ± 2.7 years; height = 180.86 ± 5.81 cm; weight = 74.09 ± 9.11 kg; % fat mass = 8.01 ± 2.47%; maximum aerobic power (MAP) = 473 ± 26.28 W, undertook ~20 h training each week at the time of the study) participated in the Tour de la Provence under cold environmental conditions (the ambient temperature was 15.6 ± 1.4 °C with a relative humidity of 41 ± 8.5% and the normalized ambient temperature (Tawc) was 7.77 ± 2.04 °C). Body core temperature (Tco) was measured with an ingestible capsule. Heart rate (HR), power, speed, cadence and the elevation gradient were read from the cyclists' onboard performance monitors. The interaction (multivariate analysis of variance) of the Tawc and the elevation gradient has a significant impact (F(1.5) = 32.2; p < 0.001) on the variables (cadence, power, velocity, core temperature, heart rate) and on each individual. Thus, this pilot study shows that in cold environmental conditions, the athlete's performance was limited by weather parameters (ambient temperature associated with air velocity) and race characteristics. The interaction of Tawc and elevation gradient significantly influences thermal (Tco), physiological (HR) and performance (power, speed and cadence) factors. Therefore, it is advisable to develop warm-up, hydration and clothing strategies for competitive cycling under cold ambient conditions and to acclimatize to the cold by training in the same conditions to those that may be encountered in competition.

Keywords: athletes; core temperature; cycling; exercise performance; exercise thermoregulation; weather parameters.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Profile of the race, section (red: downhill, light grey: uphill, light blue: flat) and lap (5 laps). A dummy start and a real start precede the stage of the race.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Individual example of variations in speed, cadence, ambient temperature normalized by WCI (Tawc), heart rate (HR) and power during the test (normalized in a range of 0 to 1). The elevation of the route in meters is in black. The start and end of the run are indicated by a black and red vertical line respectively.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Normalized ambient temperature (Tawc) during race, per sections and laps.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Evolution of the core temperature during the race per sections and laps. Values are represented by median and quartiles, using boxplot graph.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Power output (W), during race, per sections and laps.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Power output as ratio of FTP test value (W·kg−1), during race, per sections and laps.

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