title: Pacing pattern and physiological responses to a 5-minute maximal exercise bout.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe the pacing strategy of experienced cyclists in a 5-minute maximal exercise bout and to describe selected physiological responses associated with this effort. Six experienced and well-trained competitive cyclists (five males, one female) with a mean (+/-SD) age, height, and mass of 27.0 +/- 4.77 years, 174.7 +/- 8.57 cm, and 71.0 +/- 6.45 kg, performed a 5-minute maximal exercise bout in a laboratory on a racing cycle. Subjects were free to determine their work rate throughout. During exercise, data were collected for work rate, heart rate (HR), [latin capital V with dot above]O2, electromyography of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis, oxygen saturation, and rating of perceived exertion. All six subjects selected a pacing strategy characterized by a surge in work rate in the first minute followed by a gradual decline until the last minute, when a sprint to the end occurred. Values for HR, respiratory exchange ratio, and blood lactate concentration (182.8 +/- 2.8 bpm, 1.08 +/- 0.07, and 15.5 +/- 2.1 mmol x L-1, respectively) indicated that [latin capital V with dot above]O2 (3.6 +/- 0.4 L x min-1) was close to or at maximum from minutes 2 to 5. Oxygen saturation dropped continuously across time, reaching <94% in the last minute, and rating of perceived exertion was 19.5 +/- 0.8. Electromyographic activity of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis was not significantly related to work rate during the bout (p > 0.05). It is concluded that work rate or pace is uneven in an all-out, 5-minute exercise bout in experienced cyclists, yet the physiological responses are near maximal in minutes 2-5. Cyclists seem to pace themselves in a common pattern in short-term stochastic exercise bouts. The possible benefits of including some stochastic exercise in the training programs of athletes might be worthy of examination.
authors: School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA. kberg@mail.unomaha.edu
authors: Kris E
authors: KE
authors: Berg
authors: Christopher L
authors: CL
authors: Kauftman
authors: Dimitris C
authors: DC
authors: Katsavelis
authors: Kelli L
authors: KL
authors: Ratliff
authors: Joey L
authors: JL
authors: Simet
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors