The influence of different track surfaces and bicycles on mountain biking performance

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to evaluate the impact induced by different track surfaces and type of bicycles on the mechanical and physiological variables in mountain biker performance. Sixteen mountain bike male athletes (70,2 ± 5,4 kg of body mass, 172,7 ± 4,0 cm of height, 9,8 ± 3,5% of body fat, 52,3 ± 3,9 mL/kg/min of VO2max) participated in this study. After the laboratory cardiorespiratory, athletes complete in random order 3 field trials of 20 minutes performed at maximum intensity. The type of bike (road and mountain bikes) and surface (ground and asphalt tracks) were changed in each trail. The trials on ground track and asphalt with MTB showed no differences in most of the variables except in the values of mechanical power output. Between the ground and asphalt trials on MTB, we observed associations in mean (r = 0,877) and maximum heart rates (r = 0,879), mean (r = 0,923) and relative (r = 0,913) power outputs. The trials performed on asphalt with different bicycles showed differences in the mean power output (p = 0,007). We conclude that the different track surfaces and bicycles influence the external power output values, without changes in the central component of the effort (heart rate).