INFLUENCE OF TEST DURATION AND EVENT SPECIFICITY ON MAXIMAL ACCUMULATED OXYGEN DEFICIT OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE TRACK CYCLISTS

This study examined the relationship between the time required to full y utilise the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) and event spec ificity of track cyclists. Twelve track endurance and 6 sprint high pe rformance track cyclists performed four treatments of 70 s, 120 s, 300 s and 115 % VO(2)max of maximal cycling on an air-braked ergometer. P eak blood lactate was measured immediately after each test with VO2 ki netics being assessed during the 115 % VO(2)max time to exhaustion tes t. When the two cycling groups were combined there was no significant difference in the MAOD when assessed under the four different exercise durations. However, when the groups were analysed separately the foll owing results were apparent: (1) the sprint cyclists achieved a signif icantly greater MAOD (66.9+/-2.2 ml . kg(-1)) compared to the track en durance cyclists (57.6+/-6.7 ml . kg(-1)) when a 70 s test duration wa s employed (2) even though the track endurance cyclists achieved their greatest MAOD during the 300 s test protocol (62.1+/-11.0 ml . kg(-1) ), it was not significantly different to the MAOD's measured during th e three other test durations and (3) the sprint cyclists recorded thei r greatest MAOD during the 70 s supramaximal test protocol (66.9+/-2.2 ml . kg(-1)). This was not significantly different to the 120 s test MAOD, but it was significantly higher than the MAOD values recorded du ring the 115 % VO(2)max and 300 s test durations. There was no signifi cant difference between the two groups in the peak post-exercise blood lactate concentrations for any of the tests and on ly the 70 s test p roduced a significant correlation between peak blood lactate and the M AOD. The VO2 kinetics (VO2 t(1/2)) of the sprinters was significantly slower than that of the track endurance cyclists (26.3+/-2.3 vs 23.9+/ -2.8 s.). The findings of this study demonstrate that sprint cyclists can fully express their anaerobic capacity within an event specific 70 s all-out test and that these cyclists progressively decrease their a naerobic capacity during a 120 s, 115 % VO(2)max (mean time = 210 s) o r 300 s test, despite giving all-out efforts. Conversely, track endura nce cyclists achieve their highest mean score during an event specific 300 s test and their lowest during a 70 s test. These findings have i mportant implications when testing high performance cyclists for deter mination of MAOD, with the implication that it is necessary to assess MAOD under exercise conditions (i.e., duration, pacing) specific to th e cyclist's chosen event.