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Multifactorial cycling performance of Cyclists and Non-Cyclists and their effect on skin temperature

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Abstract

Although some studies showed a relationship between skin temperature and physical fitness, it is unclear if cycling experience could have an influence on thermoregulation. The aims of this study were to compare differences in skin temperature between Cyclists and Non-Cyclists and to assess the relationship between varying performance factors and skin temperature. Eleven Cyclists and eleven Non-Cyclists performed an incremental cycling test to exhaustion. Body composition, power output, oxygen consumption, heart rate, neuromuscular activation and skin temperature from Vastus Lateralis, Rectus Femoris, Biceps Femoris and Gastrocnemius Medialis were measured. Cyclists presented lower percentage body fat, greater peak power output and higher oxygen consumption (P < 0.01 and ES > 1.4), resulting in a higher heat production (P < 0.01 and ES = 1.6) and therefore higher skin temperatures in knee extensors than Non-Cyclists (P < 0.01 and ES > 1.1). Skin temperature was negatively correlated with body fat and positively correlated with peak power output and heat production (P < 0.05 and ∣r∣ ≥ 0.5). Skin temperature was influenced by cycling training profile and participants with a higher physical fitness (i.e., higher peak power output) presented higher heat production and higher skin temperature. Furthermore, percentage body fat was one of the variables that largely explained the relationship between physical fitness and skin temperature.

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Abbreviations

∆Skin temperature:

Variation in skin temperature

%VO2max :

Maximum relative oxygen consumption

BF:

Biceps Femoris

EMG:

Surface electromyography

GM:

Gastrocnemius Medialis

H prod :

Heat production

HR:

Heart rate

POpeak :

Peak power output

PO/kg:

Relative power output

RF:

Rectus Femoris

ROI:

Region of interest

VL:

Vastus Lateralis

VO2max :

Maximum oxygen consumption

VT1 :

Ventilatory threshold 1

VT2 :

Ventilatory threshold 2

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Acknowledgements

The work of the first author was funded with a doctoral fellowship (FPU) received from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. The Foundation of the Amazonas State Research by awarding grants to researchers. The authors would like to thank the participants for their valuable contributions and support. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biophysics and Medical Physics Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Avd. Blasco Ibañez, 15, 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Jose Ignacio Priego Quesada

  2. Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Jose Ignacio Priego Quesada

  3. Laboratory of Study of Human Performance, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil

    Lucas Tavares Sampaio, Mateus Rossato & Vinicius Cavalcanti

  4. School of Physical Education of the Army, Brazilian Army Center for Physical Training, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Rodrigo R. Bini

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  1. Jose Ignacio Priego Quesada
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  2. Lucas Tavares Sampaio
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  3. Rodrigo R. Bini
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  4. Mateus Rossato
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  5. Vinicius Cavalcanti
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Correspondence to Jose Ignacio Priego Quesada.

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Priego Quesada, J.I., Sampaio, L.T., Bini, R.R. et al. Multifactorial cycling performance of Cyclists and Non-Cyclists and their effect on skin temperature. J Therm Anal Calorim 127, 1479–1489 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-016-5971-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-016-5971-z

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