Dimensional Changes Cannot Account For All Differences in Short-Term Cycling Power During Growth

• Published in: International journal of sports medicine 2000-07, Vol.21 (5), p.360-365
• Main Authors: DORE, E, DIALLO, O, FRANCA, N. M, BEDU, M, VAN PRAAGH, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anthropometry; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Child; Child Development; Exercise - physiology; Exercise Test - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Training and Testing; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Weight-Bearing
• ISSN: 0172-4622; 1439-3964
• DOI: 10.1055/s-2000-3783

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent anthropometric characteristics account for cycling peak power during growth. Five hundred and six male subjects aged 7.5-18 years performed three brief maximal sprints on a friction-loaded cycle ergometer. Cycling peak power (CPP) was calculated including the flywheel inertia of the device. Fat-free mass (FFM) and lean leg volume (LLV) were assessed by anthropometry. Anthropometric characteristics increased significantly during growth (p 0.3). The same pattern was observed for CPP, while the time to reach CPP decreased during growth. CPP correlated as highly with LLV as with FFM and both parameters may therefore be interchanged. However, in non weight-bearing exercises, such as cycling, it seems more relevant to "normalise" leg power for LLV. Multiple stepwise regression, using an allometric model, showed that a large part of the variance of CPP was explained by LLV (88.2%, p