title: Effects of high-intensity intermittent priming on physiology and cycling performance.
abstract: The pre-event warm-up or "priming" routine for optimising cycling performance is not well-defined or uniform to a specific event. We aimed to determine the effects of varying the intensity of priming on 3 km cycling performance. Ten endurance-trained male cyclists completed four 3 km time-trials (TT) on four separate occasions, each preceded by a different priming strategy including "self-selected" priming and three intermittent priming strategies incorporating 10 min of constant-load cycling followed by 5 × 10 s bouts of varying relative intensity (100% and 150% of peak aerobic power, Wpeak, and all-out priming). The self-selected priming trial (379 ± 44 W) resulted in similar mean power during the 3 km TT to intermittent priming at 100% (376 ± 45 W; -0.7%; unclear) and 150% (374 ± 48 W; -1.5%, unclear) of Wpeak, but significantly greater than all-out priming (357 ± 45 W; -5.8%, almost certainly harmful). Differences between intermittent and self-selected priming existed with regards to heart rate (6.2% to 11.5%), blood lactate (-22.9% to 125%) and VO2 kinetics (-22.9% to 8.2%), but these were not related to performance outcomes. In conclusion, prescribed intermittent priming strategies varying in intensity did not substantially improve 3 km TT performance compared to self-selected priming.
authors.affiliation: a Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand , AUT University , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jordan P R
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kilding
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: competition; cyclists; power output; time-trial; warm-up