Ambient Temperature and Field-Based Cycling Performance: Insights From Male and Female Professional Cyclists

  1. Valenzuela, Pedro L. 15
  2. Mateo-March, Manuel 12
  3. Zabala, Mikel 3
  4. Muriel, Xabier 4
  5. Lucia, Alejandro 15
  6. Barranco-Gil, David 1
  7. Pallarés, Jesús G. 4
  1. 1 Universidad Europea de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Europea de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04dp46240

  2. 2 Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
    info

    Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche

    Elche, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01azzms13

  3. 3 Universidad de Granada
    info

    Universidad de Granada

    Granada, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04njjy449

  4. 4 Universidad de Murcia
    info

    Universidad de Murcia

    Murcia, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03p3aeb86

  5. 5 Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre
    info

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre

    Madrid, España

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Revista:
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

ISSN: 1555-0265,  1555-0273

Año de publicación: 2022

Páginas: 1-5

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1123/IJSPP.2021-0508 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

Resumen

Purpose: Ambient temperature affects endurance exercise performance. However, most research has been conducted in a laboratory-based setting, and whether there are sex-specific trends remains unclear. The present study aimed to analyze the influence of ambient temperature on cycling performance in male and female professional cyclists using field-based data collected during both training and racing. Methods: A total of 74 cyclists (48 male and 26 female; age 29 [5] y, 8 [5] y of experience in the professional category) were included in the analyses. We registered the participants’ record power profile using data from both training and competitions over 8 years (2013–2020; 8 [5] seasons per cyclist). We analyzed their mean maximal power (MMP) values attained for efforts lasting 5 seconds, 30 seconds, 5 minutes, and 20 minutes at ambient temperatures ranging from <5°C to >35°C. Results: A significant influence of ambient temperature on MMP values was found in male and female cyclists (P < .001 for both), with no significant differences between sexes (P = .512). Cyclists attained the highest MMP values at temperate conditions (10–30°C in males and 5–25°C in females), whereas an impairment in performance was found at colder and hotter temperatures, particularly for the more extreme conditions (performance impairment at <5°C and >35°C of −18% to −9% and −16% to −9%, respectively). Conclusions: Ambient temperature influences field-based cycling performance, following a reverse U-shaped relationship, with the highest MMP values attained in the range of ∼10°C to 25°C and with no major differences between sexes.

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