Level ground and uphill cycling ability in professional road cycling

Purpose: To evaluate the physiological capacities and performance of profes sional road cyclists in relation to their morphotype-dependent speciality. Methods: 24 world-class cyclists, classified as flat terrain (FT, N = 5), t ime trial (TT, N = 4), all terrain (AT, N = 6), and uphill (UH, N = 9) spec ialists, completed an incremental laboratory cycling test to assess maximal power output (W-max), maximal oxygen uptake ((V) over dot O-2max). lactate threshold (LT), and onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). Results: U H had a higher frontal area (FA):body mass (BM) ratio (5.23 +/- 0.09 m(2).k g(-1).10(-3)) than FT and TT (P < 0.05). FT showed the highest absolute W-m ax (481 +/- 18 W), and UH the highest W-max relative to BM (6.47 +/- 0.33 W .kg(-1)). W-LT and W-OBLA values were significantly higher in FT (356 +/- 4 1 and 417 +/- 45 W) and TT (357 +/- 41 and 409 +/- 46 W) than in UH (308 +/ - 46 and 356 +/- 41). Scaling of these values relative to FA and BM exponen ts 0.32 and 0.79 minimized group differences, but considerable differences among mean group values remained. FT and TT had the highest W-max per FA un it (1300 +/- 62 and 1293 +/- 57 W.m(2)), whereas TT had the highest absolut e W.kg(-0.32) and W.kg(-0.79), as well as W.kg(-0.32) W.kg(-0.79) and W.m(- 2) at the LT and OBLA. Conclusions: i) Scaling of maximal and submaximal ph ysiological values showed a performance advantage of TT over FT AT, and UH in all cycling terrains and conditions; and ii) mass exponents of 0.32 and I were the most appropriate to evaluate level and uphill cycling ability, r espectively, whereas absolute W-max values are recommended for performance- prediction in short events on level terrain, and W-LT and W-OBLA in longer time trials and uphill cycling.