Effect of training specificity on maximal treadmill and bicycle ergometer exercise

Sixteen competitive athletes in long-distance running (n = 8) and cycle racing (n = 8) performed three maximal exercise tests on the treadmill as well as on the bicycle ergometer. The test protocol for both ergometers was similar in work intensity and duration. The results obtained at the maximum work load were compared between and within the two groups of athletes. Comparing treadmill to bicycle exercise, the oxygen uptake was 14% higher on treadmill in the long-distance runners, but equal in the cycle racers. The work efficiency on both types of ergometers showed a clear relationship with the training activity: the cycle racers worked more efficiently on the bicycle ergometer while the results of the long-distance runners were better on the treadmill. Heart rate and minute ventilation reached similar values in the cycle racers on both ergometers, but treadmill exercise induced higher values in the long-distance runners as compared to cycling. Opposite results were found in the variables of the acid-base balance: lactate concentration and base excess reached similar values (13 and -14 mmol l-1, respectively) in the long-distance runners on both ergometers, but in the cycle racers bicycle exercise induced higher values than running. From these results it can be concluded that congruence between the mode of ergometer exercise and the sport activity improves the validity of the test result.