title: Ventilatory efficiency and breathing pattern in world-class cyclists: A three-year observational study.
abstract: The purpose of this three-year observational study was to analyze the ventilatory efficiency and breathing pattern in world-class professional cyclists. Twelve athletes (22.61±3.8years; 177.38±5.5cm; 68.96±5.5kg and VO2max 75.51±3.3mLkg(-1)min(-1)) were analyzed retrospectively. For each subject, respiratory and performance variables were recorded during incremental spiroergometry: oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), tidal volume (Vt), breathing frequency (fR), driving (Vt/Ti), timing (Ti/Ttot), peak power output (PPO) and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). Ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO2 slope) was calculated from the beginning of exercise testing to the second ventilatory threshold (VT2). The VE/VCO2 slope was unaffected during the study period (24.63±3.07; 23.61±2:79; 24:89±2:61) with a low effect size (ES=0.04). The PPO improved significantly in the third year (365±33.74; 386.36±32.33; 415.00±24.15) (p<0.05). The breathing pattern variables, Vt/Ti and Ti/Ttot, did not change significantly over the three year period (ES=0.00; ES=0.03 respectively). These findings suggest that changes in cycling performance in world-class professional cyclists do not modify breathing variables related to the control of ventilatory efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Computing, Pablo Olavide University, Seville, Spain. Electronic address: eduardosm1989@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salazar-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Biology, Oviedo University, Spain.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terrados
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science, Medical Section, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burtscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Computing, Pablo Olavide University, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Computing, Pablo Olavide University, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naranjo Orellana
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010507:Periodicity; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013147:Spirometry; D013990:Tidal Volume; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Breathing pattern; Cyclists; VE/VCO(2)slope; Ventilation; Ventilatory efficiency