Power production and biochemical markers of metabolic stress and muscle damage following a single bout of short-sprint and heavy strength exercise in well-trained cyclists
Kristoffersen, Morten; Sandbakk, Øyvind; Tønnessen, Espen; Svendsen, Ida S.; Paulsen, Gøran; Ersvær, Elisabeth; Nygård, Irene; Rostad, Kari; Ryningen, Anita; Iversen, Vegard Vereide; Skovereng, Knut; Rønnestad, Bent; Gundersen, Hilde
Journal article, Peer reviewed
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Date
2018Metadata
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Abstract
Purpose: Although strength and sprint training are widely used methods in competitive
cycling, no previous studies have compared the acute responses and recovery rates
following such sessions among highly trained cyclists. The primary aim of the current
study was to compare power production and biochemical markers of metabolic stress
and muscle damage following a session of heavy strength (HS) and short-sprint training
(SS).
Methods: Eleven well-trained male cyclists (18 ± 2 years with maximal oxygen uptake
of 67.2 ± 5.0 mL·kg−1
·min−1
) completed one HS session and one SS session in a
randomized order, separated by 48 h. Power production and biochemical variables were
measured at baseline and at different time points during the first 45 h post exercise.
Results: Lactate and human growth hormone were higher 5 min, 30 min and 1 h post
the SS compared to the HS session (all p ≤ 0.019). Myoglobin was higher following the
HS than the SS session 5 min, 30 min and 1 h post exercise (all p ≤ 0.005), while creatine
kinase (CK) was higher following the HS session 21 and 45 h post exercise (p ≤ 0.038).
Counter movement jump and power production during 4 sec sprint returned to baseline
levels at 23 and 47 h with no difference between the HS and SS session, whereas the
delayed muscle soreness score was higher 45 h following the HS compared to the SS
session (p = 0.010).
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that SS training provides greater metabolic stress
than HS training, whereas HS training leads to more muscle damage compared to that
caused by SS training. The ability to produce power remained back to baseline already
23 h after both training sessions, indicating maintained performance levels although
higher CK level and muscle soreness were present 45 h post the HS training session.