Training for Elite Team-Pursuit Track Cyclists-Part I: A Profile of General Training Characteristics.

Purpose: To profile the training characteristics of an elite team pursuit cycling squad and assess variations in training intensity and load accumulation across the 36-week period prior to a world-record performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Methods: Training data of 5 male track endurance cyclists (mean [SD]; age 21.9 [3.

Training for Elite Team-Pursuit Track Cyclists-Part II: A Comparison of Preparation Phases in Consecutive World-Record-Breaking Seasons.

Purpose: To compare the training characteristics of an elite team pursuit cycling squad in the 3-month preparation phases prior to 2 successive world-record (WR) performances.

Methods: Training data of 5 male track endurance cyclists (mean [SD]; age 23.4 [3.

Performance determinants and evidence-based practice in track cycling: A survey of coaches, practitioners, and athletes.

Objectives: This study examined how track cycling coaches, practitioners, and athletes: develop knowledge and practices; value performance areas; and, implement research into practice.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: An online REDCap survey of track cycling coaches, practitioners, and athletes was conducted involving questions related to demographics, performance area importance, knowledge acquisition and application, research relevance, and research direction.

The physical, technical and tactical demands of on-field training drills in professional Rugby league: a systematic scoping review.

Objectives: The main objectives of this scoping review were to conduct a systematic search on the physical, technical and tactical demands of rugby league training, consolidate and summarise key findings and identify any existing gaps in knowledge.

Methods: A systematic online search of Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus was conducted from earliest record to 6 August 2023 and supplemented by manually searching reference lists. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist was followed.

Testing, Training, and Optimising Performance of Track Cyclists: A Systematic Mapping Review.

Background: Track cyclists must develop mental, physical, tactical and technical capabilities to achieve success at an elite level. Given the importance of these components in determining performance, it is of interest to understand the volume of evidence to support implementation in practice by coaches, practitioners, and athletes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic mapping review to describe the current scale and density of research for testing, training and optimising performance in track cycling.

Concurrent Heat and Intermittent Hypoxic Training: No Additional Performance Benefit Over Temperate Training.

Purpose: To examine whether concurrent heat and intermittent hypoxic training can improve endurance performance and physiological responses relative to independent heat or temperate interval training.

Methods: Well-trained male cyclists (N = 29) completed 3 weeks of moderate- to high-intensity interval training (4 × 60 min·wk-1) in 1 of 3 conditions: (1) heat (HOT: 32°C, 50% relative humidity, 20.8% fraction of inspired oxygen, (2) heat + hypoxia (H+H: 32°C, 50% relative humidity, 16.

Impaired Heat Adaptation From Combined Heat Training and "Live High, Train Low" Hypoxia.

To determine whether combining training in heat with "Live High, Train Low" hypoxia (LHTL) further improves thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses to a heat-tolerance test compared with independent heat training. A total of 25 trained runners (peak oxygen uptake = 64.1 [8.

Hypoxia During Resistance Exercise Does Not Affect Physical Performance, Perceptual Responses, or Neuromuscular Recovery.

Scott, BR, Slattery, KM, Sculley, DV, and Dascombe, BJ. Hypoxia during resistance exercise does not affect physical performance, perceptual responses, or neuromuscular recovery. J Strength Cond Res 32(8): 2174-2182, 2018-This study aimed to determine whether performing resistance exercise in hypoxia affects markers of physical performance, perceptual responses, and neuromuscular function.

Acute physiological and perceptual responses to high-load resistance exercise in hypoxia.

This study assessed whether hypoxia during high-load resistance exercise could enhance the acute physiological responses related to muscular development. Twelve trained men performed exercise in three conditions: normoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen [F O ] = 21%), moderate-level hypoxia (F O  = 16%) and high-level hypoxia (F O  = 13%). Exercise comprised high-load squats and deadlifts (5 × 5 using 80% of 1-repetition maximum with 180-s rest).

Temperate Performance Benefits after Heat, but Not Combined Heat and Hypoxic Training.

Purpose: Independent heat and hypoxic exposure can enhance temperate endurance performance in trained athletes, although their combined effects remain unknown. This study examined whether the addition of heat interval training during "live high, train low" (LHTL) hypoxic exposure would result in enhanced performance and physiological adaptations as compared with heat or temperate training.

Methods: Twenty-six well-trained runners completed 3 wk of interval training assigned to one of three conditions: 1) LHTL hypoxic exposure plus heat training (H + H; 3000 m for 13 h·d, train at 33°C, 60% relative humidity [RH]), 2) heat training with no hypoxic exposure (HOT, live at <600 m and train at 33°C, 60% RH), or 3) temperate training with no hypoxic exposure (CONT; live at <600 m and train at 14°C, 55% RH).

Acute Physiological Responses to Moderate-Load Resistance Exercise in Hypoxia.

Scott, BR, Slattery, KM, Sculley, DV, Lockhart, C, and Dascombe, BJ. Acute physiological responses to moderate-load resistance exercise in hypoxia. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1973-1981, 2017-This study assessed whether hypoxia augments anabolic responses to moderate-load resistance exercise.

Blood flow restricted exercise for athletes: A review of available evidence.

Objectives: This study aimed to collate current evidence regarding the efficacy of various blood flow restriction (BFR) strategies for well-trained athletes, and to provide insight regarding how such strategies can be used by these populations.

Design: Review article.

Methods: Studies that had investigated the acute or adaptive responses to BFR interventions in athletic participants were identified from searches in MEDLINE (PubMed), SPORTDiscus (EBSCO) and Google Scholar databases up to April 2015.

Intermittent hypoxic resistance training: is metabolic stress the key moderator?

Traditionally, researchers and practitioners have manipulated acute resistance exercise variables to elicit the desired responses to training. However, recent research indicates that altering the muscular environment during resistance training, namely by implementing a hypoxic stimulus, can augment muscle hypertrophy and strength. Intermittent hypoxic resistance training (IHRT), whereby participants inspire hypoxic air during resistance training, has been previously demonstrated to increase muscle cross-sectional area and maximum strength by significantly greater amounts than the equivalent training in normoxia.

Exercise with blood flow restriction: an updated evidence-based approach for enhanced muscular development.

A growing body of evidence supports the use of moderate blood flow restriction (BFR) combined with low-load resistance exercise to enhance hypertrophic and strength responses in skeletal muscle. Research also suggests that BFR during low-workload aerobic exercise can result in small but significant morphological and strength gains, and BFR alone may attenuate atrophy during periods of unloading. While BFR appears to be beneficial for both clinical and athletic cohorts, there is currently no common consensus amongst scientists and practitioners regarding the best practice for implementing BFR methods.

Physical performance during high-intensity resistance exercise in normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

This study aimed to determine whether different levels of hypoxia affect physical performance during high-intensity resistance exercise or subsequent cardiovascular and perceptual responses. Twelve resistance-trained young men (age, 25.3 ± 4.

Reliability of telemetric electromyography and near-infrared spectroscopy during high-intensity resistance exercise.

This study quantified the inter- and intra-test reliability of telemetric surface electromyography (EMG) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during resistance exercise. Twelve well-trained young men performed high-intensity back squat exercise (12 sets at 70-90% 1-repetition maximum) on two occasions, during which EMG and NIRS continuously monitored muscle activation and oxygenation of the thigh muscles. Intra-test reliability for EMG and NIRS variables was generally higher than inter-test reliability.

Hypoxia and resistance exercise: a comparison of localized and systemic methods.

It is generally believed that optimal hypertrophic and strength gains are induced through moderate- or high-intensity resistance training, equivalent to at least 60% of an individual's 1-repetition maximum (1RM). However, recent evidence suggests that similar adaptations are facilitated when low-intensity resistance exercise (~20-50% 1RM) is combined with blood flow restriction (BFR) to the working muscles. Although the mechanisms underpinning these responses are not yet firmly established, it appears that localized hypoxia created by BFR may provide an anabolic stimulus by enhancing the metabolic and endocrine response, and increase cellular swelling and signalling function following resistance exercise.

Establishing the criterion validity and reliability of common methods for quantifying training load.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the criterion validity and test-retest reliability of common methods for quantifying training load. Ten (5 men and 5 women) recreational athletes (mean ± SD, VO2max: 37.0 ± 4.

Effect of N-acetylcysteine on cycling performance after intensified training.

Purpose: This investigation examined the ergogenic effect of short-term oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation and the associated changes in redox balance and inflammation during intense training.

Methods: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover design was used to assess 9 d of oral NAC supplementation (1200 mg·d) in 10 well-trained triathletes. For each supplement trial (NAC and placebo), baseline venous blood and urine samples were taken, and a presupplementation cycle ergometer race simulation was performed.

The validity and reliability of a customized rigid supportive harness during Smith machine back squat exercise.

Although the back squat exercise is commonly prescribed to both athletic and clinical populations, individuals with restricted glenohumeral mobility may be unable to safely support the bar on the upper trapezius using their hands. The aims of this study were to investigate the validity and reliability of a back squat variation using a rigid supportive harness that does not require unrestricted glenohumeral mobility for quantifying 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Thirteen young men (age = 25.

Effect of training load on simulated team sport match performance.

This study examined the effect of training load on running performance and plasma markers of anaerobic metabolism, muscle damage, and inflammation during a simulated team sport match performance. Seven team sport athletes (maximal oxygen uptake, 47.6 ± 4.

The ecological validity and application of the session-RPE method for quantifying training loads in swimming.

There are few practical methods available for evaluating training loads (TL) during swimming. The purpose of this study was to examine the ecological validity of the session-rating of perceived exertion (RPE) method for quantifying internal TL in competitive swimmers using heart rate (HR)-based methods and distance as criterion measures. This study also examined the correspondence between athlete and coach perceptions of internal TL using the session-RPE method.