ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Maximal lipidic power in high competitive level triathletes and cyclists

C González-Haro¹, P A Galilea², J M González-de-Suso³, F Drobnic⁴ and J F Escanero⁵

¹ Escuela Profesional de Medicina de la Educación Física y el Deporte, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
² Centro de Alto Rendimiento de Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain
³ Real Sociedad de Fútbol SAD, Servicios Médicos, Donostia, Spain
⁴ Centro de Alto Rendimiento de Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain
⁵ Departamento de Farmacología y Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Carlos González-Haro
Escuela Profesional de Medicina de la Educación Física y el Deporte, Universidad de Barcelona, C/Hortal, 53–55, 08032 Barcelona, Spain; ghcarlos{at}gmail.com

Objective: To describe the fat-oxidation rate in triathlon and different modalities of endurance cycling.

Methods: 34 endurance athletes (15 male triathletes, 4 female triathletes, 11 road cyclists and 4 male mountain bikers) underwent a progressive cycloergometer test until exhaustion. Relative work intensity (VO_2max), minimal lactate concentration (La^–_min), lactic threshold, individual lactic threshold (ILT), maximal fat-oxidation rate (Fat_max, Fat_max zone) and minimal fat-oxidation rate (Fat_min) were determined in each of the groups and were compared by means of one-way analysis of variance.

Results: No significant differences were found for Fat_max, Fat_min or for the Fat_max zone expressed as fat oxidation rate (g/min). Intensities –20%, –10% and –5% Fat_max were significantly lower for mountain bikers with respect to road cyclists and female triathletes, expressed as % VO_2max. Intensities 20%, 10% and 5% Fat_max were significantly lower for mountain bikers with respect to male triathletes and female triathletes, and for male triathletes in comparison with female triathletes, expressed as % VO_2max. Lactic threshold and La^–_min did not show significant differences with respect to Fat_max. Lactic threshold was found at the same VO_2max with respect to the higher part of the Fat_max zone, and La^–_min at the same VO_2max with respect to the lower part of the Fat_max zone.

Conclusions: The VO_2max of Fat_max and the Fat_max zone may explain the different endurance adaptations of the athletes according to their sporting discipline. Lactic threshold and La^–_min were found at different relative work intensities with respect to those of Fat_max even though they belonged to the Fat_max zone.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CHO, carbohydrate; Fat_max, maximal fat-oxidation rate; Fat_min, minimal fat-oxidation rate; ILT, individual lactic threshold; La^–_min, minimal lactate concentration; VO_2max, maximal oxygen uptake

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Commentary

M Chander⁶

⁶ National Institute of Sports, Patiala, India; drmunishvatsh{at}yahoo.com

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