POWER OUTPUT, MUSCLE ACTIVITY, AND FRONTAL AREA OF A CYCLIST IN DIFFERENT CYCLING POSITIONS

Abstract

Nine cyclists completed three trials of cycling 25W below lactate threshold (LT) with 1) hands on top of the brake hoods (BH); 2) hands below the dropped, curved, portion of the handlebars (DH); and 3) using clip-on triathlon aerobars (AB). Each trial lasted three minutes and was immediately followed by a 20sec maximal sprint during which power output and muscle EMG were measured. Frontal projection area (FPA) differed across all three positions. EMG did not differ between positions during submax or sprint cycling. Submax power output also did not differ, but during the sprint AB was lower than BH, while DH did not differ from the other conditions. Although power output was 8.1% less while cycling in the AB position than BH, its FPA was 17.4% less, indicating the AB position allows a savings in resistive power greater than that lost in power production.