Opposite effects of a time-trial and endurance cycling exercise on the neural efficiency of competitive cyclists.

Purpose: Time-trial require cyclists to have an acute control on their sensory cues to regulate their pacing strategies. Pacing an effort accurately requires an individual to process sensory signals with efficacy, a factor that can be characterized by a high neural efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a cycling time-trial on neural efficiency in comparison to a low intensity endurance exercise, the latter supposedly not requiring high sensory control.

Neural Efficiency and Ability to Produce Accurate Efforts in Different Perceived Intensity Zones.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between neural efficiency and the ability of an athlete to produce accurate efforts in different perceived intensity zones during a racing scenario. The α/β ratio was used to quantify the neural efficiency during cycling, as it traduced the degree of participants information processing activity with lower cortical activity possible. Twelve trained competitive male cyclists delimited their perceived intensity zones 2 to 6 on a scale to assess the rating of exercise intensity.