title: Exercise intensity of cycle-touring events.
abstract: The aim of the study was to analyze the exercise intensity of recreational cyclists participating in a cycling-touring event. In 14 male healthy recreational cyclists heart rate (HR) monitoring was performed during the Otztal Radmarathon 1999 (distance: 230 km; altitude difference: 5500 m) in order to evaluate the HR response and to estimate the cardiopulmonary strains for the less-trained athlete confronted with such a marathon. Four different exercise intensities were defined as percentages of maximal HR (HR(max)) as follows: recovery HR (HR(re)) < 70 % of HR max; moderate aerobic HR (HR(ma)) = 70 - 80 %; intense aerobic HR (HR(ia)) = 80 - 90 %; and anaerobic HR (HR(an)) > 90 %. All athletes finished the competition successfully. The mean racing time was 10 h 14 min, the average speed 22.5 km/h. The mean HR(max) was 188 bpm, the average value of the measured HRs (HR(average)) was 145 bpm resulting in a mean HR(average)/HR(max) ratio of 0.77. Athletes spent 18.5 % (1 h 54 min) of total race time within HR(re), 28 % (2 h 52 min) within HR(ma), 39.5 % (4 h 02 min) within HR(ia), and 14 % (1 h 26 min) within HR(an). The vast majority of exercise was done under "aerobic conditions" (HR(re) + HR(ma) + HR(ia) = 86 % or 8 h 48 min) - confirming the knowledge that the aerobic energy supply is crucial for the performance of long-term exercise. The large amount of high exercise intensities (HR(ia) + HR(an) = 53.5 % or 5 h 30 min), however, features the intense cardiopulmonary strains evoked by such competitions. The HR response was related to the course profile with HRs significantly declining in all subjects to an extent of 10 % during the course of race. Our findings show that the exercise intensity borne by recreational cyclists during a cycle-touring event is high and very similar to that of professionals. With respect to the high cardiovascular strains a thorough medical screening is advisable for any participant of such an event combining both high volume and high intensity loads.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sports Medicine, University Clinics of Innsbruck, Austria. guenther.neumayer@sb-bruneck.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neumayr
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitterbauer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gaenzer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eibl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoertnagl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers