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Int J Sports Med 2013; 34(06): 491-496
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1327657
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Physiological Demands of a Simulated BMX Competition

J. Louis
1   Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
,
F. Billaut
2   School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Melbourne, Australia
,
T. Bernad
3   STAPS, University of South Toulon-Var, La Garde, France
,
F. Vettoretti
4   CREPS Sud Est, French cycling federation, Aix en Provence, France
,
C. Hausswirth
5   Research Department, INSEP, Paris, France
,
J. Brisswalter
6   Laboratory of Human Motricity, Education Sport and Health, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History



accepted after revision 04 September 2012

Publication Date:
09 November 2012 (online)

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological demands of Supercross BMX in elite athletes. Firstly athletes underwent an incremental cycling test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and power at ventilatory thresholds. In a second phase, athletes performed alone a simulated competition, consisting of 6 cycling races separated by 30 min of passive recovery on an actual BMX track. Oxygen uptake, blood lactate, anion gap and base excess (BE) were measured. Results indicated that a simulated BMX performed by elite athletes induces a high solicitation of both aerobic (mean peak VO2 (VO2peak): 94.3±1.2% VO2max) and anaerobic glycolysis (mean blood lactate: 14.5±4. 5 mmol.L − 1) during every race. Furthermore, the repetition of the 6 cycling races separated by 30 min of recovery led to a significant impairment of the acid-base balance from the third to the sixth race (mean decrease in BE:  − 18.8±7.5%, p<0.05). A significant relationship was found between the decrease in BE and VO2peak (r= − 0.73, p<0.05), indicating that VO2peak could explain for 54% of the variation in BMX performance. These results suggest that both oxygen-dependent and –independent fuel substrate pathways are important determinants of BMX performance.

Key words

bicycle motocross - elite athletes - intermittent sprints - buffering capacity - aerobic demand - anaerobic glycolysis
 

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