Monitoring training load and training intensity distribution of amateur Cape Epic mountain bike cyclists

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to compare different training load(TL) methods and identify the distribution of the training load during the preparation phase andthe Cape Epic MTB race. Secondary, the study aimed to determine how TL distributioninfluence the performance (race time). Nine amateur male MTB cyclists (mean ± SD: age 40.0 ±8 y, height 179.4 ± 8.4 cm, body mass 79.1 ± 10.2 kg) and two women (age 41 and 58 y, height158.6 and 166 cm, body mass 60 and 58.3 kg) volunteered to participate in a 13-week(December – March) preparation period before taking part in the 2017 Cape Epic MTBrace.Before the preparation phase, participants completed a maximal aerobic cycling test inthe laboratory to determine three work intensity zones based on heart rate (HR) andcorresponding to blood lactate thresholds. Internal training load was calculated using Banister'straining impulse (bTRIMP), individualized TRIMP (iTRIMP) and session Rate of Perceivedexertion (sRPE). Riders were tracked and monitored throughout the training period using anonline training diary (TrainingPeaks®, Boulder, United States). No training prescription wasprovided to the participants - they followed their own training plan, or a plan provided by theircoach.Strong correlations were observed between the different TL measuring tools for thepreparation phase (iTRIMP vs bTRIMP: r = 0.72, P = 0.02; iTRIMP vs sRPE: r = 0.86, P ˂ 0.01and bTRIMP vs sRPE: r = 0.72, p ˂ 0.01). TL measures for the Cape Epic race yielded evenstronger correlations (iTRIMP vs bTRIMP: r = 0.90, P ˂ 0.01, iTRIMP vs sRPE: r = 0.79, P ˂ 0.01and bTRIMP vs sRPE: r = 0.94, P ˂ 0.01). Moderate correlations were found between the HRbasedmethods and total race time iTRIMP (r = -0.56, P = 0.85 and bTRIMP: r = -0.53, P = 0.09)and a weak correlation for sRPE and total race time (r = -0.41, P = 0.20). A statistically significantcorrelation was found between race time and iTRIMP scores during the race (r = -0.78, P ˂0.01), compared to a moderate correlation for bTRIMP during the race and total race time (r =-0.58, P = 0.08) and a weak correlation for sRPE during the race and race time (r = -0.36, P =0.31). With the time-in-zone method, the TID for the preparation phase in Zone 1, 2 and 3 were58%, 27% and 15%, and for the Cape Epic race it was 42%, 41% and 17% in zone 1, 2 and 3,respectively.In conclusion, the iTRIMP method is a useful indicator of internal training load in MTBcyclists, and correlates well with previously used internal measures such as sRPE and Banister's TRIMP. In future, studies should investigate the use of power meters, in cycling especially,because of its instantaneous results and accuracy. Amateur MTB cyclists follows a pyramidaltraining pattern during the training phase that is in line with higher competitive level cyclists, andresult in adequate preparation for the successful completion of the race.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University