Aerobic Fitness Changes In Trained And Untrained Subjects Following A Three Week Cycling Course

Abstract

The health and fitness related benefits of endurance training are numerous and well documented. As training progresses, however, the window for training-specific improvement narrows, making continued performance gains challenging. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare changes in aerobic fitness between endurance-trained athletes (ET), power-trained athletes (PT), and non-athletes (NON) before and after completing a 3 week college cycling course. It was hypothesized that improvement in aerobic fitness would be greatest for NON and least for ET. METHODS: 19 subjects (12 male, 7 female; mean age 20±0.5 yr.) enrolled in a cycling course at Alma College participated in the study. Participants were categorized into 3 groups (ET, PT, or NON) based on their sport-specific training prior to taking the course. Training for this study consisted of cycling an average of 5 days/week for 18-44 miles/day for 3 weeks, with mileage and course difficulty increasing throughout the training. Participants performed a 5-mile time trial pre- and post-training utilizing a standardized cycle trainer and road bike. Time to completion and average power (Watts) were recorded for each participant and utilized to compare fitness changes among groups. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare the change in time to completion and power pre-to-post training among groups (ET, PT, NON), and paired t-tests were used to compare pre-training to post-training. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in time to completion (p=0.81) or average power (p=0.43) on the 5-mile time trial among groups, although all groups decreased time to completion by 0.98±0.92 minutes (p<0.01) and increased average power by 13.5±20.9 Watts (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: An intensive, 3-week cycling training program elicited similar improvements in aerobic fitness in a sample of college students, regardless of prior training status.