The competitive cycling, track or road, is physiologically demanding. The athletes specialize in specific events with similar metabolic energy requirements. In the race the rider typically has low body fat, high maximum oxygen uptake, anaerobic capacity and good strong muscles of the lower limb.The road racing requires the rider to present a substantial anaerobic capacity for prolonged effort, and the potential need for anaerobic race track requires a variety of capacities ranging from power to speed endurance race. Both the road race as the track require a specific knowledge of tactics, strategies, mastery of skills and considerable courage. The procedures adopted by the cyclist training are those that simulate conditions at the most competitive possível.REQUISITOS PHYSIOLOGICALThe energy consumed by gradually increasing the body weight to about 20 km / h, when the power consumption increases rapidly due to increased air resistance. The rider's body size affects the cost of energy. Studies have concluded that body size is an important factor in cycling. Moreover, it was estimated that the difference in the frontal area of cyclists increased body mass and those with lower body mass may be resThe increase in body mass also increases energy production, but this has less influence on the frontal area and drag. This can be a major reason why cyclists competing in test time and 100 km in sprint events tend to have higher body mass. Although the rider with greater body mass have the edge on level ground, the bike ramp is a different matter. The energy required for the vertical component of ascending ramp depends on the total weight of the bike and the rider, not the frontal area.
POSITION OF THE BODY AND COST OF OXYGEN
The ability to sustain a prolonged work depends on an adequate supply of oxygen to active muscles. Studies have found that riding in the lowest position with the handlebars standard resulted in lowered oxygen uptake, work output and ventilation of the lungs significantly higher although they were not found no difference in heart rate from the driving position with the handlebars at the top.Johnson and Schultz (cited Garret & Kirkendall 2003) reported that there is no physiological cost to run with aerodynamic handlebars. Studies compared the use of the handlebar "bull horn" type with the "clip", suggesting that the aerodynamic improvements Offered by these handlebars are obtained without any apparent physiological costs. A more important question arises as to how to run for long periods of time in an essay in aero position will change the recruitment and fatigue-muscle fiber in a long race. The kinetics and kinematics of the rider on the bike, especially in the hip joint, are significantly altered by running in that position.
The ATHLETE BODY COMPOSITION
Excess weight, particularly as superficial adipose tissue does not contribute to the production of work in cycling. On the other hand, a high weight of muscle is essential for efficient climbing ramp, and a cyclist with a low percentage of body fat will have an advantage in a sloping terrain. The estimated percentage of body fat for elite cyclists is from 6 to 9% for male road runners and 12 to 15% for elite female cyclists. This is the average for elite cyclists, however, some athletes have higher percentages of body fat that these average values.
The ATHLETE TRAINING
Physical training and conditioning does not alter the subsequent waste of energy required to perform a given level of work. The effects of exercise training results in several metabolic and physical changes. At one extreme are the metabolic and muscle fibers that result from exercise of high intensity and short duration (eg, anaerobic work including resistance training). At the opposite end of the continuum, the effects of exercise are prolonged, repeated many times in a submaximal level, which improves dimensional anaerobic central and peripheral.Source: Garrett Jr, William E. Kirkendall, Donald T. The Exercise Science and Sports. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2003.
