Purpose: To describe pacing strategy in a 24-h running race and its interaction with sex, age group, athletes' performance group and race edition. Methods: Data from 398 male and 103 female participants of 5 editions were obtained based on a minimum 19.2-h effective-running cut-off. Mean running speed from each hour was normalised to the 24-h mean speed for analyses. Results: Mean overall performance was 135.6 ± 33.0 km with a mean effectiverunning time of 22.4 ± 1.3 h. Overall data showed a reverse J-shaped pacing strategy, with a significant reduction in speed from the second last to the last hour. Two-way mixed ANOVAs showed significant interactions between racing time and both athletes' performance group (F = 7.01; P < 0.001; p 2 = 0.04) and race edition (F = 3.01; P < 0.001; p 2 = 0.02), but not between racing time and both sex (F = 1.57; P = 0.058; p 2 < 0.01) and age group (F = 1.25; P = 0.053; p 2 = 0.01). Pearson's product-moment correlations showed an inverse moderate association between performance and normalised mean running speed in the first 2 h (r = -0.58; P < 0.001) but not in the last 2 h (r = 0.03; P = 0.480). Conclusions:While the general behaviour represents a rough, reverse J-shaped pattern, fastest runners start at lower relative intensities and display a more even pacing strategy than slower runners. The 'herd behaviour' seems to interfere with pacing strategy across editions, but not sex or age group of runners.

Introduction: The success of training depends on the balance between training load magnitude and recovery. Objective: Verify the effect of training load distribution on recovery status, vigor and fatigue in volleyball players during a season. Methods: Nine male athletes from a professional volleyball team participated in the study. During 19 weeks of the season, quantification of the training load was performed through the session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) method, evaluation of the athletes' recovery status through the Total Quality Recovery (TQR) scale, and evaluation of the profile of mood state through the POMS questionnaire, with research focus for the subscales vigor and fatigue. Results: The average total weekly training load (TWTL) was 3206 ± 685.5 A. Us and the average recovery of the whole season was 15.3 ± 0.57. The mean values of fatigue and vigor were 11 ± 3.05 and 19.4 ± 2.84, respectively. Significant differences were found for the variables RPE, fatigue and Energy Index (Vigor - Fatigue) in the three different periods of the season (Preparatory Period, Competitive Period I and Competitive Period II). Conclusion: It was concluded that the training load and recovery monitoring methods used throughout the season were effective in controlling the variables, with a positive impact of training loads verified on the recovery values presented by the athletes. Level of Evidence III; Diagnostic study.

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a widely researched ergogenic aid, but the optimal blinding strategy during randomised placebo-controlled trials is unknown. In this multi-study project, we aimed to determine the most efficacious ingestion strategy for blinding NaHCO3 research. During study one, 16 physically active adults tasted 0.3 g kg−1 body mass NaHCO3 or 0.03 g kg−1 body mass sodium chloride placebo treatments given in different flavour (orange, blackcurrant) and temperature (chilled, room temperature) solutions. They were required to guess which treatment they had received. During study two, 12 recreational athletes performed time-to-exhaustion (TTE) cycling trials (familiarisation, four experimental). Using a randomised, double-blind design, participants consumed 0.3 g kg−1 body mass NaHCO3 or a placebo in 5 mL kg−1 body mass chilled orange squash/water solutions or capsules and indicated what they believed they had received immediately after consumption, pre-TTE and post-TTE. In study one, NaHCO3 prepared in chilled orange squash resulted in the most unsure ratings (44%). In study two, giving NaHCO3 in capsules resulted in more unsure ratings than in solution after consumption (92 vs 33%), pre-TTE (67 vs. 17%) and post-TTE (50 vs. 17%). Administering NaHCO3 in capsules was the most efficacious blinding strategy which provides important implications for researchers conducting randomised placebo-controlled trials.

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This study aimed to analyse the reproducibility of mean power output during 20-min cycling time-trials, in a remote home-based setting, using the virtual-reality cycling software, Zwift. Forty-four cyclists (11 women, 33 men; 37 ± 8 years old, 180 ± 8 cm, 80.1 ± 13.2 kg) performed 3 x 20-min time-trials on Zwift, using their own setup. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV) and typical error (TE) were calculated for the overall sample, split into 4 performance groups based on mean relative power output (25% quartiles) and sex. Mean ICC, TE and CV of mean power output between time-trials were 0.97 [0.95—0.98], 9.36 W [8.02—11.28 W], and 3.7% [3.2—4.5], respectively. Women and men had similar outcomes (ICC: 0.96 [0.89—0.99] vs 0.96 [0.92—0.98]; TE: 8.30 W [6.25—13.10] vs. 9.72 W [8.20—12.23]; CV: 3.8% [2.9—6.1] vs. 3.7% [3.1—4.7], respectively), although cyclists from the first quartile showed a lower CV in comparison to the overall sample (Q1: 2.6% [1.9—4.1] vs. overall: 3.7% [3.2—4.5]). Our results indicate that power output during 20-minute cycling time-trials on Zwift are reproducible and provide sports scientists, coaches and athletes, benchmark values for future interventions in a virtual-reality environment.