Relationship Between Work Load, Pedal Frequency, and Physical Fitness*

Böning, Dieter; Gönen, Y.; Maassen, Norbert

doi:10.1055/s-2008-1025887

Cited by 110 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…These results support evidence that efficiency is maximized (Böning et al 1984;Coast and Welch 1985;Foss and Hallén 2004;Hagberg et al 1981;Seabury et al 1977) and muscle excitation is minimized (MacIntosh et al 2000) at increasing cadences for increasing power outputs during cycling and that the influence of cadence on efficiency decreases at higher power outputs ( Fig. 1D; Chavarren and Calbet 1999;Di Prampero 2000).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Efficiency in cycling has been reviewed (Ettema and Loras 2009) and has been shown to be dependent largely on workload and to a lesser extent on cadence, while delta efficiency (ratio of the change in mechanical power to the change in metabolic power) has been shown to be independent of workload (Hansen and Sjogaard 2007) and both independent of (Marsh et al 2000) and dependent on (Böning et al 1984;Chavarren and Calbet 1999;Sidossis et al 1992) cadence. If delta efficiency increases with cadence (Böning et al 1984;Chavarren and Calbet 1999), then an increase in power output requires less energy at higher cadences compared with lower cadences (Sargeant and Beelen 1993). This partially explains evidence that efficiency is maximized at increasing cadences for increasing power outputs (Böning et al 1984;Coast and Welch 1985;Foss and Hallén 2004;Hagberg et al 1981;Seabury et al 1977).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If delta efficiency increases with cadence (Böning et al 1984;Chavarren and Calbet 1999), then an increase in power output requires less energy at higher cadences compared with lower cadences (Sargeant and Beelen 1993). This partially explains evidence that efficiency is maximized at increasing cadences for increasing power outputs (Böning et al 1984;Coast and Welch 1985;Foss and Hallén 2004;Hagberg et al 1981;Seabury et al 1977). Obtaining greater efficiency by increasing cadence with workload may be the result of reduced muscle excitation since minimum muscle excitation also occurs at increasing cadences with increasing submaximal workloads (MacIntosh et al 2000), despite different muscle excitationworkload-cadence relationships seen in individual muscles (Blake and Wakeling 2013;Hug et al 2004;Lawrence and De Luca 1983;MacIntosh et al 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Muscle coordination limits efficiency and power output of human limb movement under a wide range of mechanical demands

Blake

Wakeling

2015

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Blake OM, Wakeling JM. Muscle coordination limits efficiency and power output of human limb movement under a wide range of mechanical demands. J Neurophysiol 114: 3283-3295, 2015. First published October 7, 2015 doi:10.1152/jn.00765.2015.-This study investigated the influence of cycle frequency and workload on muscle coordination and the ensuing relationship with mechanical efficiency and power output of human limb movement. Eleven trained cyclists completed an array of cycle frequency (cadence)-power output conditions while excitation from 10 leg muscles and power output were recorded. Mechanical efficiency was maximized at increasing cadences for increasing power outputs and corresponded to muscle coordination and muscle fiber type recruitment that minimized both the total muscle excitation across all muscles and the ineffective pedal forces. Also, maximum efficiency was characterized by muscle coordination at the top and bottom of the pedal cycle and progressive excitation through the uniarticulate knee, hip, and ankle muscles. Inefficiencies were characterized by excessive excitation of biarticulate muscles and larger duty cycles. Power output and efficiency were limited by the duration of muscle excitation beyond a critical cadence (120 -140 rpm), with larger duty cycles and disproportionate increases in muscle excitation suggesting deteriorating muscle coordination and limitations of the activation-deactivation capabilities. Most muscles displayed systematic phase shifts of the muscle excitation relative to the pedal cycle that were dependent on cadence and, to a lesser extent, power output. Phase shifts were different for each muscle, thereby altering their mechanical contribution to the pedaling action. This study shows that muscle coordination is a key determinant of mechanical efficiency and power output of limb movement across a wide range of mechanical demands and that the excitation and coordination of the muscles is limited at very high cycle frequencies. electromyography; excitation; power output; cadence; cycling; motor control HUMAN LIMB MOVEMENT IS ACHIEVED through interactions between the neuromuscular and skeletal systems. Movement performance is commonly measured by the resultant mechanical efficiency (ratio of mechanical power output to metabolic power) and power output, both of which are significantly influenced by the coordinated excitation of individual muscles and the coordination of that excitation between muscles Dorel et al. 2012;Samozino et al. 2007;Wakeling et al. 2010). Therefore, investigating movement performance requires a comprehensive understanding of how the individual muscle excitations and the coordination between muscles (muscle coordination) change in response to the demands.Mechanical demands such as workload and movement velocity can be uncoupled during cycling (Wakeling et al. 2006;Wakeling and Horn 2009), making it an appropriate model to investigate the effects of mechanical demands on individual muscle excitation and muscle coordination and the resultant performan...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Muscle coordination limits efficiency and power output of human limb movement under a wide range of mechanical demands

Blake

Wakeling

2015

Journal of Neurophysiology

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“…However, to our knowledge there is no evidence that fitness or training leads to an increased ÄýOµÏÄW. Differences in level (Boning et al 1984), type (Stuart et al 1981) or duration (Nickleberry & Brooks, 1996) of training do not appear to have an effect on either gross or delta efficiency. Further, ýOµ is unchanged for a given moderate power output after training (Hagberg et al 1980), although during heavy exercise ýOµ may be reduced (Karlsson et al 1972), presumably due to a reduction in the slow component (Casaburi et al 1987).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Influence of Muscle Fibre Type and Fitness on the Oxygen Uptake/Power Output Slope During Incremental Exercise in Humans

Barstow

Jones

Nguyen

et al. 2000

Experimental Physiology

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We recently reported that a higher percentage of type I fibres in vastus lateralis and a greater peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2) were associated with a greater initial rise in V̇O2 (ΔV̇O2/ΔW, where W is work rate) following the onset of heavy constant power output exercise (above the lactate threshold, LT). It was unclear if these results were true only for heavy exercise, or if the association between fibre type and/or fitness and ΔV̇O2/ΔW would also be seen for moderate (< LT) exercise. The purpose of the present study was to compare the relationships between fibre type or peak V̇O2 and ΔV̇O2/ΔW determined for moderate (< LT) and heavy (> LT) exercise intensities during incremental exercise. Nine healthy subjects performed an incremental ramp test on a cycle ergometer. The V̇O2/Wslope was calculated for the domain of power outputs up to the LT (S1), from the LT towards peak V̇O2 (S2), and over the entire linear portion of the ΔV̇O2/ΔW response (ST), and compared to fibre type distribution determined from biopsy of the vastus lateralis, and to peak V̇O2 (as ml kg‐1 min‐1). Significant correlations between ΔV̇O2/ΔW and the proportion of type I fibres were found for each exercise domain (r is 0.69, 0.71 and 0.84 for S1, S2 and ST, respectively, P < 0.05). S1 ranged between about 9 ml min‐1 W‐1 for a low proportion of type I fibres and 11 ml min‐1 W‐1 for a high proportion of type I fibres. Similar correlations were also found between S2 (r = 0.70) and ST (r = 0.76) and peak V̇O2. These results are consistent with our previous findings during > LT constant power output exercise, and suggest that the proportion of type I fibres, and possibly fitness as indicated by peak V̇O2, is associated with greater ΔV̇O2/ΔW during the initial adjustment to < LT as well as > LT exercise. These results do not appear to be explained by classical descriptions of the kinetics of adjustment of V̇O2 following the onset of ramp or constant power output exercise. They might reflect enhanced motor unit recruitment in subjects with a greater percentage of type I fibres, and/or who are more aerobically fit. However, the underlying mechanism for these findings must await further study.

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“…Of note is the fact that the subjects were allowed to choose pedal rate during cycling and did in fact, on average, employ similar pedal rates with the two chain wheels. Thus, the difference in lactate response cannot be attributed to a difference in pedal rate, which otherwise has been reported to influence lactate response during cycling (Böning et al, 1984). Even when some subjects chose pedal rates that were up to 7 rpm different between the two chain wheels, a lower [La] with the Biopace chain wheel occurred systematically.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Effect of Chain Wheel Shape on Crank Torque, Freely Chosen Pedal Rate, and Physiological Responses during Submaximal Cycling

Hansen

Jensen

Hallén

et al. 2009

J Physiol Anthropol

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The development of noncircular chain wheels for the enhancement of cycling performance has been in progress for a long time and continues apace. In this study we tested whether submaximal cycling using a non-circular (Biopace) versus a circular chain wheel resulted in lower peak crank torque at preset pedal rates as well as resulting in lower pedal rate and metabolic response at freely chosen pedal rate. Ten trained cyclists (meanϮSD: 27Ϯ3 years of age, 182Ϯ4 cm tall, 77.5Ϯ7.0 kg of body mass, and peak oxygen uptake of 61.7Ϯ4.4 ml kg Ϫ1 min Ϫ1) cycled with a Biopace and a circular chain wheel at 180 W at 65 and 90 rpm for recording of crank torque profiles, and at their freely chosen pedal rate for recording of pedal rate and metabolic response, including oxygen uptake and blood lactate concentration. Crank torque profiles were similar between the two chain wheels during cycling at preset pedal rates. During cycling at the freely chosen pedal rate (being 93Ϯ6 and 93Ϯ4 rpm for the Biopace and circular chain wheel, respectively), blood lactate concentration was significantly different between the two chain wheels, being on average 0.2 mmol l Ϫ1 lower with the Biopace chain wheel. A musculoskeletal simulation model supported the idea that a contributing factor to the observed difference in blood lactate concentration may be slightly reduced muscle activity around the phase where peak crank torque occurs during cycling with the Biopace chain wheel. In that particular phase of the crank revolution, the observed slightly lower muscle activity may result from larger transfer of energy from the legs to the crank.

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Relationship Between Work Load, Pedal Frequency, and Physical Fitness*

Cited by 110 publications

References 14 publications

Muscle coordination limits efficiency and power output of human limb movement under a wide range of mechanical demands

Muscle coordination limits efficiency and power output of human limb movement under a wide range of mechanical demands

Influence of Muscle Fibre Type and Fitness on the Oxygen Uptake/Power Output Slope During Incremental Exercise in Humans

Effect of Chain Wheel Shape on Crank Torque, Freely Chosen Pedal Rate, and Physiological Responses during Submaximal Cycling

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