Cycling Speed And Torque Of Knee Extensors And Flexors Muscles Of Cyclists as Parameters Of Talent And Speciality Identification

Introduction
To analyse the biomechanics parameters with a greater capacity of sporting prediction performance in the different
specialities of track cycling, we have measured and correlated: A/ Maximum rate of pedalling (MRP), B/ Maximum
momentum of isokinetic concentric force of the knee extensors (MICFExt.) and flexors (MICFFlex.) muscles at angular
speeds of: 60, 180, 300º/s, C/. Relationship between the aforementioned muscles: FLEX./EXT.

Methods
We have studied a control group of 46 PE students (INEFC, Barcelona) and an experimental group of 56 cyclists: 19
long distance and 11 sprinters of a high level and 26 of a regional level (Table 1). We measured the MRP with a
cycloergometer Tunturi-890, with a 18 kg flywheel and a rod of 175,0 mm. The torques were measured with an
isokinetic ergometer CIBEX-6000.

Results
Our results show that the MRP is significantly higher (p< 0,01) in the srpinters than in the other groups studied. As can
be expected, in absolute values (Nm), the MICF at 60º/s are significantly higher in the sprinters (values not shown). But
in relative values (Nm over body weight) we didn’t observe significant differences with the long distance cyclists of
high level. The sprinters show the best correlations with the index FLEX./EXT. It’s important to notice that, this
correlations are higher as the angular speed increases (Table 2).

Discussion / Conclusions
The parameters studied: MRP, MICF’s , and the relationship FLEX./EXT., may be determinant to valorate the
pedalling mechanical efficiency of track and road cyclists, serving as predictors of the potential adaptation of any
cyclist for a determined event.

References
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NOTA: O texto com a iconografia está no anexo.

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