Can Cycling Performance in an Early Morning, Laboratory-Based Cycle Time-Trial be Improved by Morning Exercise the Day Before?

B. J. Edwards; W. Edwards; J. Waterhouse; G. Atkinson; T. Reilly

doi:10.1055/s-2004-830439

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2005; 26(8): 651-656
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-830439

Physiology & Biochemistry

Can Cycling Performance in an Early Morning, Laboratory-Based Cycle Time-Trial be Improved by Morning Exercise the Day Before?

B. J. Edwards¹ , W. Edwards² , J. Waterhouse¹ , G. Atkinson¹ , T. Reilly¹

¹Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
²Great Marlow School, Marlow Buckinghamshire, UK

Abstract

The normal circadian rhythm in exercise performance may be altered by the habitual timing of training. We have investigated if morning time trial performance is affected by the time at which moderate exercise is performed on the previous day. Eight male cyclists undertook two separate exercise sessions of sub-maximal cycle ergometry (60 % V·O_2peak for 30 min) at 07 : 00 h and 12 : 00 h the day before a 16.1-km time trial at 07 : 00 h. Heart rate, power output, ratings of perceived exertion, and rectal temperature were measured at rest and every 5 min in the pre-time trial exercises, and every 1.61 km during the time trial. Blood samples were taken at rest and immediately after the time trial for the measurement of lactate concentration. The time trial performed the day after the 07 : 00 h sub-maximal exercise was completed in 1672 ± 135 s, compared to 1706 ± 159 s for the time trial performed the day after the noon pre-time trial exercise (p = 0.027). The time trial after exercise the previous morning was associated with higher work-rates (p = 0.031), a higher net lactate accumulation after the time trial (p = 0.018), and a trend for higher heart rates (p = 0.093) compared to the time trial after exercise the previous noon. These findings suggest that cycling performance in an early morning time trial is improved if an athlete participates in early-morning rather than noontime moderate exercise the day before. This finding cannot be attributed to the physiological responses to the exercise on the pre-time trial day or to environmental factors. It is suggested that it might partly reflect an advantage gained by performing exercise in the day(s) immediately beforehand at the same time as the competition.

Key words

Cycle-ergometry - time-of-day - rectal temperature - time trial performance

Full Text

References

1 Arnett M G. Effects of reduced warm-ups on diurnal variation in body temperature and swim performance. J Strength and Conditioning Research. 2002; 16 256-261
2 Atkinson G. Effects of age on human circadian rhythms in physiological and performance measures. Unpublished doctor thesis. Liverpool; John Moores University 1994
3 Atkinson G, Davison R C, Jeukendrup A, Passfield L. Science and cycling: Current knowledge and future directions for research. J Sports Sci. 2003; 21 767-787
4 Atkinson G, Nevill A M, Edwards B J. What is an acceptable amount of measurement error? The application of meaningful “analytical goals” to the reliability assessment of sports science measurements made on a ratio scale. J Sports Sci. 1998; 17 18-(Abstract)
5 Atkinson G, Nevill A M. Statistical methods for assessing measurement error (reliability) in variables relevant to sports medicine. Sports Med. 1998; 26 217-238
6 Atkinson G, Reilly T. Circadian variations in sporting performance. Sports Med. 1996; 21 292-312
7 Barton J, Folkard S, Smith L R, Selton E R, Totterdell P A. Standard Shiftwork Index Manual 1990, SAPU Memo No: 1159 MRC/ESRC Social and Applied Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield. Sheffield, UK; University of Sheffield 1990
8 Baxter C, Reilly T. Influence of time of day on all-out swimming. Brit J of Sports Med. 1983; 17 122-127
9 Birk T J, Birk C A. Use of perceived exertion for exercise prescription. Sports Med. 1987; 4 1-8
10 Burke E. Physiology of cycling. Garrett WE Jr, Kirkendall DT Exercise and Sport Science. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 2000: 759-770
11 Burke L M. Nutritional practices of male and female endurance cyclists. Sports Med. 2001; 31 521-532
12 Burke L M, Collier G R, Beasley S K, Davis P G, Fricker P A, Heeley P, Walder K, Hargreaves M. Effect of co-ingestion of fat and protein with carbohydrate feedings on muscle glycogen storage. J Appl Physiol. 1995; 78 2187-2192
13 Buxton O M, Lee C V, L'Hermite-Baleriaux M, Turek F W, Cauter E V. Exercise elicits phase shits and acute alterations of melatonin that vary with circadian phase. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2003; 284 714-724
14 Czeisler C A, Brown E N, Ronda J M, Kronauer R E, Richardson R E, Freitag W O. A clinical method to assess the endogenous circadian pulse (ECP) of the deep circadian oscillator in man. Sleep Research. 1985; 14 295-(Abstract)
15 Edwards B, Waterhouse J, Atkinson G, Reilly T. Exercise does not necessarily influence the phase of the circadian rhythm in temperature in healthy humans. J Sports Sci. 2002; 20 725-732
16 Field A. Discovering Statistics using SPSS for Windows. London; Sage Publications 2000
17 Foster C, Schrager M, Snyder A C, Thompson N N. Pacing strategy and athletic performance. Sports Med. 1994; 17 77-85
18 Hargreaves M, Dillo P, Angus D, Febbraio M A. Effect of fluid ingestion on muscle metabolism during prolonged exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1996; 80 363-366
19 Hickey M S, Costill D L, McConell G K, Wildrick J J, Tanaka W H. Day to day variation in time-trial cycling performance. Int J Sports Med. 1992; 13 467-470
20 Honma K L, Honma S. A human phase response curve for bright light pulses. Jap J Psychiat Neurol. 1988; 42 167-168
21 Javierre C, Ventura L I, Segura R, Calvo M, Garrido E. Is physical training a good synchroniser of the performance?. J Physiol Biochem. 1997; 53 239-246
22 Jeukendrup A E, Martin J. Improving cycling performance. How should we spend our time and money?. Sports Med. 2001; 31 559-569
23 Kinear P R, Gray L D. SPSS for Windows Made Simple. London; Lawrence Ehbaum 1995
24 Minors D, Waterhouse W, Wirz-Justice A. A human phase-response curve to light. Neurosci Lett. 1991; 133 36-40
25 Miyazaki T, Hashimoto S, Masubuchi S, Honma S, Honma K I. Phase-advance shifts of the human circadian pacemaker are accelerated by daytime physical exercise. Am J Appl Physiol. 2001; 281 197-205
26 Redlin U, Mrosovsky N. Exercise and human circadian rhythms: what we know and what we need to know. Chronobiol Int. 1997; 14 221-229
27 Reilly T, Atkinson G, Waterhouse J. Chronobiology and physical performance. Garrett WE Jr, Kirkendall DT Exercise and Sport Science. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins 2000: 351-372
28 Tarnopolsky M A, Roy B D, MacDonald J R, McKenzie S, Martin J, Ettinger S. Short-term 17-β-Estradiol administration does not affect metabolism in young males. Int J Sports Med. 2001; 22 175-180
29 Westgarth-Taylor C, Hawley J A, Rickard S, Myburgh K H, Noakes T D, Dennis S C. Metabolic and performance adaptations to interval training in endurance-trained cyclists. Eur J Physiol Occupat Physiol. 1997; 75 298-304
30 Wever R A. Light effects on human circadian rhythms. A review of Andechs experiments. J Biol Rhythm. 1989; 4 161-185

Dr. B. J. Edwards

Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University

Henry Cotton Campus, 15 - 21 Webster Street

Liverpool, L3 2ET

UK

Phone: + 44(0)1512314344

Fax: + 44 (0) 15 12 31 43 54

Email: B.J.Edwards@livjm.ac.uk