The
paper I am bringing to your attention today represents a good example of how
applied exercise physiology research can support the pursuit of performance and
Olympic glory.
The work of Faulkner et al. has indeed contributed to the
development of the famous “hot pants” (for more info see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19063554), which e.g. have helped Sir Chris Hoy becoming one of the most successful
British Olympians during the last London 2012 summer Olympics.
In
this study, a 9% increase in peak power output during sprint performance was
observed in cyclists who had been wearing heated trousers during recovery after
a sprint-specific warm-up. The heated trousers resulted in a significant attenuation
of the decline in muscle temperature during the 30min post warm-up and resulted
effective in improving sub-sequent sprint performance when compared to standard
tracksuit pants.
These outcomes might have interesting applications not only for cycling sprint performance, but for any sprint based sport which sees muscle temperature as a critical determinant of performance.
This work was conducted at the Environmental Ergonomics
Research Centre: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/lds/research/groups/environmental-ergonomics/
Enjoy
the reading!
FAULKNER,
S. H., R. A. FERGUSON, N. GERRETT, M. HUPPERETS, S. G. HODDER, and G. HAVENITH.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 359–365, 2013.
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study aimed to determine the effect of passive insulation versus external
heating during recovery after a sprint-specific warm-up on thigh muscle
temperature and subsequent maximal sprint performance. Methods: On three
separate occasions, 11 male cyclists (age = 24.7 T 4.2 yr, height = 1.82 T 0.72
m, body mass = 77.9 T 9.8 kg; mean T SD) completed a standardized 15-min
intermittent warm-up on a cycle ergometer, followed by a 30-min passive
recovery period before completing a 30-s maximal sprint test. Muscle
temperature was measured in the vastus lateralis at 1, 2, and 3 cm depth before
and after the warm-up and immediately before the sprint test. Absolute and
relative peak power output was determined and blood lactate concentration was
measured immediately after exercise. During the recovery period, participants
wore a tracksuit top and (i) standard tracksuit pants (CONT), (ii) insulated
athletic pants (INS), or (iii) insulated athletic pants with integrated
electric heating elements (HEAT). Results:Warm- up increased Tm by
approximately 2.5-C at all depths, with no differences between conditions.
During recovery, Tm remained elevated in HEAT compared with INS and CONT at all
depths (P G 0.001). Both peak and relative power output were elevated by 9.6%
and 9.1%, respectively, in HEAT compared with CONT (both P G 0.05). The
increase in blood lactate concentration was greater (P G 0.05) after sprint in
HEAT (6.3 T 1.8 mmolILj1) but not INS (4.0 T 1.8 mmolILj1) versus CONT (4.1 T
1.9 mmolILj1). Conclusions: Passive heating of the thighs between warm-up
completion and performance execution using pants incorporating electrically
heated pads can attenuate the decline in Tm and improve sprint cycling
performance.
Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete