Effects of Priming and Pacing Strategy on Oxygen Uptake Kinetics and Cycling Performance.
PURPOSE To assess whether combining prior "priming" exercise with an all out pacing strategy is more effective at improving oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics and cycling performance than either intervention administered independently. METHODS Nine men completed target work cycling performance trials using a self paced or all out pacing strategy with or without prior severe intensity (70%D) priming exercise. Breath by breath pulmonary VO2 and cycling power output were measured during all trials. RESULTS Compared with the self paced unprimed control trial (22 5 s) the VO2 mean response time (MRT) was shorter (VO2 kinetics were faster) with all out pacing (17 4 s) and priming (17 3 s) with the lowest VO2 MRT observed when all out pacing and priming were combined (15 4 s) (P .05) However, total O2 consumed and end exercise VO2 were only higher than the control condition in the primed trials (P .05) Similarly, cycling performance was improved compared with control (98 11 s) in the self paced primed (93 8 s) and all out primed (92 8 s) trials (P .05) but not the all out unprimed trial (97 5 s; P .05) CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that combining an all out start with severe intensity priming exercise additively improves VO2 MRT but not total O2 consumption and cycling performance since these were improved by a similar magnitude in both primed trials relative to the self paced unprimed control condition. Therefore, these results support the use of priming exercise as a precompetition intervention to improve oxidative metabolism and performance during short duration high intensity cycling exercise, independent of the pacing strategy adopted.
International journal of sports physiology and performance