Comparative Analysis of Physical and Physiological Profiles in Elite Junior and Professional Cyclists

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the profile of junior high-level cyclists with senior professional cyclists relating to the physical and physiological fitness. Two male groups (juniors and professionals), each with 10 athletes (n = 20), carried out a five-minute effort levels test of increment in watts, starting at 150 watts and increasing 50 watts at each level until 450 watts. At the end of each five minutes, blood samples, heart rate, pedaling cadence, perceived subjective effort, and maximal power were collected. The variable W/kg showed no statistically significant differences between juniors and professionals. For lactate, differences were found between junior professionals for levels of 200 W (U = 13.00; p = 0.005), 250 W (U = 13.50; p = 0.006), and 300 W (U = 8.50; p = 0.002). For the aerobic threshold, the M-W test (U = 17.50; p = 0.015) detected differences. As for the anaerobic threshold, significant differences were found between groups (U = 3.50; p < 0.001). Analyzing average training intensity as measured by average heart rate, the same difference remains between groups (U = 10.00; p = 0.003). For the correlations in the junior group, it was found that there is a strong and significant correlation (r = 0.821; p = 0.004) between the performance determinant W/Kg and the number of hours of training, as well as a moderate and inverse correlation between the aerobic threshold and the number of kilometers performed per week (r = -0.654; r = 0.002). There were no correlations between variables in the group of professionals. Significant differences were observed in aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, lactate accumulation, and heart rate responses, reinforcing the physiological gap between junior and professional cyclists. We conclude that the juniors in this sample still have lower physiological performance than their professional peers, and the variable that does not show differences between the two groups is the pedaling cadence. These findings emphasize the need for targeted training programs tailored to junior cyclists, focusing on improving their physiological thresholds to facilitate a smoother transition to professional levels.