The Physiological Profile of a Multiple Tour de France Winning Cyclist.

Introduction: This case study reports a range of physiological characteristics in a two-time Tour de France champion. Methods: Following body composition assessment (DXA), two submaximal cycling step-tests were performed in ambient (20[degrees]C, 40%) and hot and humid (30[degrees]C, 60% [HH]) conditions from which measures of gross efficiency (GE), lactate-power landmarks and heart rate responses were calculated. Additionally, thermoregulatory and sweat responses were collected throughout. V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak and peak power output (PPO) were also identified following a separate ramp test to exhaustion. Results: V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak and PPO were 5.91 L[middle dot]min-1 (84 mL[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1) and 525 W respectively, whilst mean GE was 23.0% and 23.6% for ambient and HH conditions respectively. In addition to superior GE, power output at 4 mmol[middle dot]L-1 lactate was higher in HH vs. ambient conditions (429.6 W vs. 419.0 W) supporting anecdotal reports from the participant of good performance in the heat. Peak core and skin temperature, sweat rate and electrolyte content were higher in HH conditions. Body fat percentage was 9.5%, whilst total fat mass, lean mass and bone mineral content were 6.7, 61.5 and 2.8 kg respectively. Conclusion: The aerobic physiology and peak power output values indentified are amongst the highest reported for professional road cyclists. Notably, the participant displayed both a high V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak and GE, which is uncommon amongst elite cyclists, and may be a contributing factor to their success in elite cycling. Additionally, performance in HH conditions was strong, suggesting effective thermoregulatory physiology. In summary, this is the first study to report physiological characteristics of a multiple Tour de France champion in close to peak condition and suggests what may be the prerequisite physiological and thermoregulatory capacities for success at this level. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially. (C) 2016 American College of Sports Medicine

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