Effect of heavy strength training on thigh muscle cross-sectional area, performance determinants, and performance in well-trained cyclists

Abstract

This file was dowloaded from the institutional repository Brage NIH -brage.bibsys.no/nih Rønnestad, B. R., Hansen, E. A., Raastad T. (2010). Effect of heavy strength training on thigh muscle cross-sectional area performance determinants and performance in well-trained cyclists. ] and mean power output in the 40-min all-out trial were improved in E+S (p<0.05). For E, only performance in the 40-min all-out trial tended to improve (p=0.057).The two groups showed similar increases in VO 2max (p<0.05). In conclusion, adding strength training to usual endurance training improved determinants of cycling performance as well as performance in well-trained cyclists. Of particular note is that the added strength training increased thigh muscle CSA without causing an increase in body mass.

In-season strength maintenance training increases well-trained cyclists’ performance

“…The W max as well as the mean and peak power output in a Wingate test reflect the ability to generate high power output over a short period of time. Peak power output in the Wingate test has been reported to be increased after a period of strength training in both non-cyclists (Beck et al 2007) and cyclists (Bastiaans et al 2001;Rønnestad et al 2010). These findings are supposedly explained by the facts that peak power output in cycling is affected by leg muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and that strength training increases this CSA (Izquierdo et al 2004).…”

“…However, the effect of strength training on endurance cycling performance and traditional indicators of cycling performance like lactate threshold, maximum aerobic power output (W max ), and cycling economy, is still somewhat unclear. Importantly, adding strength training to usual endurance training does not appear to negatively affect maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) in cyclists (Bishop et al 1999;Hausswirth et al 2010;Rønnestad et al 2010). Strength training has been shown to improve lactate threshold in untrained individuals (Marcinik et al 1991).…”

“…However, studies of trained cyclists have reported both no change in lactate threshold (Bishop et al 1999;Hausswirth et al 2010) and increased power output at a blood lactate concentration ([la -]) of 2 mmol·l -1 after a period of concurrent strength and endurance training (Rønnestad et al 2010). Improvement in cycling economy after a period of strength training has been observed for untrained individuals (Loveless et al 2005) and trained cyclists (Sunde et al 2009), but not well-trained cyclists (Aagaard et al 2007;Rønnestad et al 2010). We have recently reported that strength training can improve performance during all-out cycling performed immediately following prolonged submaximal cycling, which simulates, for example, the final kilometers of a road race ).…”

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This file was dowloaded from the institutional repository Brage NIH -brage.bibsys.no/nih Rønnestad, B. R., Hansen, E. A., Raastad, T. (2010). In-season strength maintenance training increases well-trained cyclists' performance. ]

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Cyclists’ Improvement of Pedaling Efficacy and Performance After Heavy Strength Training

“…Recently, it has been reported that concurrent heavy strength training and endurance training in well-trained cyclists result in enhanced cycling performance. [1][2][3][4] Other research groups have previously failed to find a similar positive effect of strength training on performance in trained cyclists. 5,6 In one of our previous articles, cycling performance was determined as the power output in a 5-minute all-out trial performed subsequent to 185 minutes of submaximal cycling.…”