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More thoughts and ideas from the ISSSMC in Newcastle...
The Lamberts and Lambert Sub-maximal Cycling Test
RP Lamberts, J Swart, TD Noakes, MI Lambert
A previous Cutting Edge post presented a paper investigating the use of heart rate recovery (HRR) for monitoring training status or fatigue. Since then further work has been carried out, using the early findings to develop a formalised testing protocol. The test itself is very straightforward – athletes are asked to cycle at 60%, 80% and 90% of maximum heart rate for 6, 6 and 3 minutes respectively with heart rate recovery (drop in heart rate after 60 s immediately after end of stage 3) being measured immediately following the third stage.
The research presented compared the LSCT to peak power output at the end of a ramp test (PPO) and 40km time trial performance (performed in the lab). A strong relationship was observed between PPO and 40km TT performance and average power in stage 3 of the LSCT, with slightly weaker relationships with average power during stage 2 and also HRR.
There are a number of pros to the use of the this test to monitor fatigue levels
- The test is sub-maximal, so it can be performed regularly without incurring its own level of fatigue that might otherwise affect the training process
- The LSCT provides three bits of information on your state of fatigue – your power-heart rate relationship from each of the three stages (see power:HR factsheet for more on the physiology), your HRR and your rating of perceived exertion (RPE – in other words how hard it is to cycle at each intensity).
- The test can performed as a warm up before your training session, either on the road or turbo.
More work is needed to determine how accurate the LSCT is at monitoring changes but the individual response will undoubtedly be variable and so historical data will be important to successful interpretation of the test. The upside is that this historical data can be collected fairly quickly as the test can be performed frequently.
In addition to the paper presented at the conference, further work from the same research group has been published, based on a case study of a world cross cyclo-cross rider and the LSCT. This additional paper suggested that the effect of increased training load, and therefore fatigue, was most obviously shown by an increase in power output in the first minute of stage 3, increased RPE in stages 2 and 3 and an increase in HRR. Performing the LSCT at the start of your training sessions could provide the information to decide whether you are recovered well enough to train hard again, or if an easier, recovery based session is advised.
Helen and I are both keen to trial this over the coming months as it provides a formalised and easy to follow protocol to look at many of the things we would look for in your training files anyway. HRR potentially provides a tool for examining changes in autonomic nervous system regulation – those of you familiar with the concept of heart rate variability (if not see the HRV factsheet!) may have already heard this concept but it seems a promising area in terms of monitoring fatigue. Rather than just monitoring training load, this method takes into account ‘lifestyle stresses’ – all those non-cycling factors that can have just as much impact on your level of fatigue as your training sessions. |
