Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of a 20-km cycling time trial using the Velotron cycle ergometer in competitive cyclists. Twenty male cyclists (V·O2max = 68.5 ± 3.6 ml · kg-1 · min-1; peak power (Ppeak) = 469 ± 33 W) participated in this study. Each subject performed a V·O2max test and 3 separate 20-km time trials (TT1, TT2, and TT3). Data from trials were compared using a one-way ANOVA. Coefficients of variation (CV) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated between trials. Values are mean ± SD unless otherwise noted. Performance time Ttot (30.03 ± 1.24, 30.12 ± 1.21, and 30.14 ± 1.21 min) and mean absolute power (Pmean) (326 ± 35, 323 ± 35, 322 ± 34 Watts) were not significantly different across TT1 - TT3. Pmean was highly related between TT1 - TT2 (r = 0.96; p < 0.01) and TT2 - TT3 (r = 0.97; p < 0.01). A low CV was also demonstrated between trials for Pmean (TT1 - TT2 = 2.1 %, CI = 1.6 % to 3.1 %; TT2 - TT3 = 1.9 %, CI = 1.4 % to 2.8 %). Ppeak and Pmean were both correlated to Ttot in TT1 with Pmean accounting for most of the variance in Ttot (R2 = 0.993). These data show that performance in a 20-km time trial using the Velotron ergometer is highly reproducible in competitive cyclists. Furthermore, the CV variance demonstrated between trials is comparable to that expected during actual performance in elite athletes. Verf.-Referat