title: Personal best time and training volume, not anthropometry, is related to race performance in the 'Swiss Bike Masters' mountain bike ultramarathon.
abstract: We investigated in 73 male ultraendurance mountain bikers, with (mean and SD) age 39.1 (8.6) years, weight 74.4 (8.3) kg, height 1.78 (0.07) m, and a body mass index of 23.3 (1.9) kg·m⁻², whether variables of anthropometry, training, or prerace experience were associated with race time using bi and multivariate analysis. Our investigation was conducted at the "Swiss Bike Masters," which covers a distance of 120 km and an altitude of 5,000 m. In the bivariate analysis, body mass index (r = 0.29), circumference of upper arm (r = 0.28), sum of upper body skinfolds (r = 0.38), sum of lower body skinfolds (r = 0.25), sum of 8 skinfolds (r = 0.36), percent body fat (r = 0.41), total cycling kilometers per year (r = -0.47), yearly volume in both mountain bike (r = -0.33) and road cycling (r = -0.52), number of training units per week (r = -0.48), distance per unit in road cycling (r = -0.33), average speed during training in road cycling (r = -0.33), and personal best time in the "Swiss Bike Masters"(r = 0.67) were related to race time. In the multiple linear regression analysis, personal best time in the "Swiss Bike Masters" (p = 0.000), total yearly cycling kilometers (p = 0.004), and yearly training kilometers in road cycling (p = 0.017) were related to race time. When the personal best time was the dependent variable in a separate regression model, total yearly cycling kilometers (p = 0.002) remained the single predictor variable. We concluded that finishing a particular mountain bike ultramarathon does not seem to require a special anthropometry but rather a specific skill and experience for this selective kind of race coupled with a high training volume. For practical use, we concluded that successful athletes in a mountain bike ultramarathon, in a special environment and using sophisticated equipment, need prerace experience coupled with high training volume, rather than any special anthropometry.
authors.affiliation: Health Center St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosemann
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Senn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors