Article Text
Abstract
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 (VO2max), minimal lactate concentration (La−min), lactic threshold, individual lactic threshold (ILT), maximal fat-oxidation rate (Fatmax, Fatmax zone) and minimal fat-oxidation rate (Fatmin) 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 Fatmax, Fatmin or for the Fatmax zone expressed as fat oxidation rate (g/min). Intensities −20%, −10% and −5% Fatmax were significantly lower for mountain bikers with respect to road cyclists and female triathletes, expressed as % VO2max. Intensities 20%, 10% and 5% Fatmax 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 % VO2max. Lactic threshold and La−min did not show significant differences with respect to Fatmax. Lactic threshold was found at the same VO2max with respect to the higher part of the Fatmax zone, and La−min at the same VO2max with respect to the lower part of the Fatmax zone.
Conclusions: The VO2max of Fatmax and the Fatmax 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 Fatmax even though they belonged to the Fatmax zone.
- BMI, body mass index
- CHO, carbohydrate
- Fatmax, maximal fat-oxidation rate
- Fatmin, minimal fat-oxidation rate
- ILT, individual lactic threshold
- La−min, minimal lactate concentration
- VO2max, maximal oxygen uptake
Statistics from Altmetric.com
Footnotes
-
Funding: This work was supported by a grant (DOGC number 3885 16.05.2006) from the Direcció General de l’Esport, Generalitat de Catalunya.
-
Competing interests: None declared.
Request Permissions
If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.