Bent R Rønnestad

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences · Section for Sports Science

Purpose To explore the relationships between performance variables and physiological variables in a short-time (2–3 min) cycling time trial (TT) on a cycle ergometer. Methods Fifteen young elite cyclists (age: 17.3 ± 0.7 years, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max): 76.6 ± 5.2 mL⋅kg⁻¹⋅min⁻¹) participated in this study. Maximal aerobic power (MAP), maxima...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a microcycle of high‐intensity interval training (HIT) sessions with multiple short work intervals followed by an active recovery period, compared to a similar duration of regular training, on determinants and indicators of endurance performance in well‐trained cyclists. The participants in t...

Research on world-class athletes in endurance events, such as cycling Grand Tours, has reported extreme levels of total energy expenditure. However, it has been argued that over extended periods, such as months, sustained energy expenditure is capped at approximately 2.5 times the basal metabolic rate. Triathlon is particularly notable for its high...

It has been suggested that time spent at a high fraction of maximal oxygen consumption (%O 2max ) plays a decisive role for adaptations to interval training. However, previous studies examining how interval sessions should be designed to achieve a high %O 2max have exclusively been performed in males. The present study compared the %O 2max attained...

It has been suggested that time at a high fraction (%) of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) plays a decisive role for adaptations to interval training. Yet, no study has, to date, measured the % of VO2max during all interval sessions throughout a prolonged training intervention and subsequently related it to the magnitude of training adaptations. Thus...

Altitude training is a cornerstone for endurance athletes for improving blood variables and performance with optimal effects observed at ⁓2300-2500 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.). However, elite cyclists face challenges such as limited access to such altitudes, inadequate training facilities, and high expenses. To address these issues, a novel m...

Purpose Altitude training is a common strategy used with the intent to increase hemoglobin mass (Hb mass ) in athletes. However, if the Hb mass is increased during altitude camps it seems to decline rapidly upon returning to sea level. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of three weekly heat training sessions over a 3.5-week period following a...

Øfsteng, SF, Hammarström, D, Knox, S, Jøsok, Ø, Helkala, K, Koll, L, Hanestadhaugen, M, Raastad, T, Rønnestad, BR, and Ellefsen, S. Superiority of high-load vs. low-load resistance training in military cadets. J Strength Cond Res 38(9): 1584-1595, 2024-Muscle strength and power are important determinants of soldiers' performance in modern warfare....

Entrenamiento Intervalado para Ciclismo es una referencia para entrenadores y ciclistas que desean mejorar sus métodos de entrenamiento y herramientas para aplicar a diario. Con 1.077 referencias a la literatura científica, los autores presentan fundamentos sólidos de las respuestas agudas y crónicas del cuerpo humano al entrenamiento en los domin...

Interval training is considered an essential training component in endurance athletes. Recently, there has been a focus on optimization of interval training characteristics to sustain a high fraction of maximal oxygen consumption (≥90% VO2max) to improve physiological adaptations and performance. Herein, we present a synopsis of the latest research...

Interval Training for Cycling is a reference for coaches and cyclists that want to improve their training methods and tools to apply every day. With 1077 references to the scientific literature, the authors present solid foundations of the acute and chronic responses of the human body to the training in the heavy and severe intensity domains. The b...

Blood volume (BV) is an important clinical parameter and is usually reported per kg of body mass (BM). When fat mass is elevated, this underestimates BV/BM. One aim was to study if differences in BV/BM related to sex, age, and fitness would decrease if normalized to lean body mass (LBM). The analysis included 263 women and 319 men (age: 10–93 years...

Aim: This study investigated the development of power profiles and performance-related measures from the junior level (<19 years) via U23 (19-23 years) to senior level (>23 years) in 19 female and 100 male Norwegian national team cyclists. Methods: A total of 285 tests were performed in a 3-day laboratory-standardized testing regime. The tests i...

Heat exercise training may increase exercise performance in athletes. The underlying mechanisms remain partly unresolved, and it is unknown if female and male athletes may experience comparable gains. The aims were to investigate whether heat training (HEAT) increases hemoglobin mass (Hbmass), skeletal muscle fiber characteristics and thermoneutral...

Adaptation to heat-stress and hypoxia are relevant for athletes participating in Tour de France or similar cycling races taking place during the summertime in landscapes with varying altitude. Both to minimize detrimental performance effects associated with arterial desaturation occurring at moderate altitudes in elite athletes, respectively reduce...

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a 6-day high-intensity interval (HIT) block [BLOCK, n = 12, maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O 2max = 69. 6 ± 4.3 mL·min ⁻¹ ·kg ⁻¹ )] with a time-matched period with usual training (CON, n = 12, V̇O 2max = 69.2 ± 4.2 mL·min ⁻¹ ·kg ⁻¹ ) in well-trained cross-country (XC) skiers on physiological det...

Purpose: Previous research suggests that the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake attained and the time it is sustained close to maximal oxygen uptake (eg, >90%) can serve as a good criterion to judge the effectiveness of a training stimulus. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of adding vibration during varied high-intensity...

Purpose: This study examined the associations among common assessments for measuring strength and power in the lower body of high-performing athletes, including both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Methods: A total of 100 participants, including both male (n = 83) and female (n = 17) athletes (21 [4] y, 182 [9] cm, 78 [12] kg), were recru...

Purpose: This study examined the test-retest reliability of common assessments for measuring strength and power of the lower body in high-performing athletes. Methods: A total of 100 participants, including both male (n = 83) and female (n = 17) athletes (21 [4] y, 182 [9] cm, and 78 [12] kg), were recruited for this study, using a multicenter a...

Purpose and methods: To test whether heat training performed as 5x50 min sessions/week for 5 weeks in a heat chamber (CHAMBER) or while wearing a heat suit (SUIT), in temperate conditions, increases haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and endurance performance in elite cyclists, compared to a control group (CON-1). Furthermore, after the 5-week intervention...

Sprint performance is critical for endurance performance in sports characterized by multiple accelerations like a cross-country Olympic mountain bike (XCO MTB) race. There are indications that 10–25 weeks of heavy strength training (HST) can improve cycling sprint power in cyclists. However, there is a lack of data on the effect of continuing HST a...

Varied-intensity work intervals have been shown to induce higher fractions of maximal oxygen uptake during high-intensity interval training compared with constant-intensity work intervals. We assessed whether varied-intensity work intervals combined with intermittent vibration could further increase cyclists' fraction of maximal oxygen uptake to po...

Purpose: The primary purpose was to test the effect of heat suit training on hemoglobin mass (Hbmass ) in elite cross-country (XC) skiers. Methods: Twenty-five male XC skiers were divided into a group that added 5x50 min weekly heat suit training sessions to their regular training (HEAT; n=13, 23 ± 5 yrs, 73.9 ± 5.2 kg, 180 ± 6 cm, 76.8 ± 4.6 mL...

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction. Resistance exercise training (RT) is a training modality with a relatively small pulmonary demand that has been suggested to increase skeletal muscle oxidative enzyme activity in COPD. Whether a shift into a more oxidative profile f...

Low-intensity aerobic training combined with blood flow restriction (LI + BFR) has resulted in increases in aerobic and neuromuscular capacities in untrained individuals. This strategy may help cyclists incapable of training with high intensity bouts or during a rehabilitation program. However, there is a lack of evidence about the use of LI + BFR...

Background Both athletes and recreational exercisers often perform relatively high volumes of aerobic and strength training simultaneously. However, the compatibility of these two distinct training modes remains unclear. Objective This systematic review assessed the compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training compared with strength t...

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 12 weeks load-matched block periodization (BP, n = 14), using weekly concentration of high- (HIT), moderate- (MIT), and low- (LIT) intensity training, with traditional periodization (TP, n = 16) using a weekly, cyclic progressive increase in training load of HIT-, MIT-, and LIT-sessions in tra...

Aim: To describe ribosome biogenesis during resistance training, its relation to training volume and muscle growth. Methods: A training group (n = 11) performed 12 sessions (3-4 sessions per week) of unilateral knee extension with constant and variable volume (6 and 3-9 sets per session respectively) allocated to either leg. Ribosome abundance a...

The main goal of the current study was to compare the effects of volume-equated training frequency on gains in muscle mass and strength. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether the effect of training frequency was affected by the complexity, concerning the degrees of freedom, of an exercise. Participants were randomized to a moderate training...

Purpose: Accumulated time at a high percentage of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) is important for improving performance in endurance athletes. The present study compared the acute physiological and perceived effects of performing high-intensity intervals with roller ski double poling containing work intervals with (1) fast start followed by dec...

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an individualized training program based on force‐velocity (FV) profiling on jumping, sprinting, strength, and power in athletes. Forty national level team sport athletes (20±4yrs, 83±13 kg) from ice‐hockey, handball, and soccer completed a 10‐week training intervention. A theoretical optimal...

Rønnestad, BR, Haugen, OC, and Dæhlin, TE. Superior on-ice performance after short-interval vs long-interval training in well-trained adolescent ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2021-The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 9 weeks with 3 weekly sessions of short intervals (SIs) against long intervals (LIs) on...

Purpose: The present case report aimed to investigate the effects of exercise training in temperate ambient conditions while wearing a heat suit on hemoglobin mass (Hbmass). Methods: As part of their training regimens, 5 national-team members of endurance sports (3 males) performed ∼5 weekly heat suit exercise training sessions each lasting 50 m...

Background Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to accelerated decay of muscle strength and mass with advancing age. This is believed to be driven by disease-inherent systemic pathophysiologies, which are also assumed to drive muscle cells into a state of anabolic resistance, leading to impaired abilities to adapt to...

The objective was to compare the efficacy of three different heat acclimation protocols to improve exercise performance in the heat. Thirty four cyclists completed one of three 10-day interventions 1) 50-min cycling per day in 35°C, 2) 50-min cycling per day wearing thermal clothing, 3) 50-min cycling wearing thermal clothing plus 25 min hot water...

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of including sprints within low-intensity training (LIT)-sessions during a 14-d training camp focusing on LIT, followed by 10 days recovery (Rec), on performance and performance-related measures in elite cyclists. Methods: During the camp, a sprint training group (SPR, n = 9) included 12x30-s maximal...

Although the ability to sprint repeatedly is crucial in road cycling races, the changes in aerobic and anaerobic power when sprinting during prolonged cycling has not been investigated in competitive elite cyclists. Here, we used the gross efficiency (GE)-method to investigate: (1) the absolute and relative aerobic and anaerobic contributions durin...

Objective: This systematic review assessed the compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training compared to sole strength training regarding adaptations in muscle function (maximal and explosive strength) and muscle mass. Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the impact of training modality, exercise type, exercise order, training fr...

Background: Lifestyle therapy with resistance training is a potent measure to counteract age-related loss in muscle strength and mass. Unfortunately, many individuals fail to respond in the expected manner. This phenomenon is particularly common among older adults and those with chronic diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD) an...

During the last decade numerous review articles have been published on how concurrent strength and endurance training affect cycling performance. However, none of these have reviewed if there are any sex differences in the effects of concurrent training on cycling performance, and most research in this area has been performed with male cyclists. Th...

Rationale. Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to accelerated decay of muscle strength and mass with advancing age. This is mediated by systemic pathophysiologies, which are also believed to impair responses to exercise training, a notion that remains largely unstudied. Objectives. To investigate the presence of imp...

The aim of the study was to examine the test-retest reliability and agreement across methods for assessing individual force-velocity (FV) profiles of the lower limbs in athletes. Using a multicenter approach, 27 male athletes completed all measurements for the main analysis, with up to 82 male and female athletes on some measurements. The athletes...

Background Human skeletal muscle responds to weight-bearing exercise with significant inter-individual differences. Investigation of transcriptome responses could improve our understanding of this variation. However, this requires bioinformatic pipelines to be established and evaluated in study-specific contexts. Skeletal muscle subjected to mechan...

Purpose: To investigate the effects of including repeated sprints in a weekly low-intensity (LIT)-session during a 3-week transition period on cycling performance 6 weeks into the subsequent preparatory period in elite cyclists. Methods: Eleven elite male cyclists (age: 22.0 [3.8]y, body mass: 73.0 [5.8]kg, height: 186 [7]cm, maximal oxygen uptake...

This study investigated the acute effects of including 30-s sprints during prolonged low intensity cycling on muscular and hormonal responses and recovery in elite cyclists. Twelve male cyclists (VO2max, 73.4±4.0 mL·kg-1·min-1) completed a randomized cross-over protocol, wherein 4 hours of cycling at 50% of VO2max were performed with and without in...

Background The primary aim was to examine the relationship between lactate threshold (LT) expressed as percentage of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and running velocity at LT (LTV). A secondary aim was to investigate to what extent VO2max, oxygen cost of running (CR), and maximal aerobic speed (MAS) determined LTV. A third aim was to investigate po...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of including 30-s sprints in one weekly low-intensity training (LIT) session during a 3-week transition period in elite cyclists. Sixteen male elite cyclists (maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max: 72 ± 5 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) reduced their training load by ~60% for 3 weeks from the end of competitive seaso...

Background: Lifestyle therapy with resistance training is a potent measure to counteract age-related loss in muscle strength and mass. Unfortunately, many individuals fail to respond in the expected manner. This phenomenon is particularly common among older adults and those chronically diseased (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD), an...

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate if endurance athletes, sustaining their normal endurance training, experience attenuated adaptations to strength training compared to untrained individuals.Methods Eleven non-strength-trained female endurance athletes (E + S) added 11 weeks of strength training to their normal endurance training (...

Performance-determining variables are usually measured from a rested state and not after prolonged exercise, specific to when athletes compete for the win in long-distance events. Purpose: (1) To compare cross-country skiing double-poling (DP) performance and the associated physiological and biomechanical performance-determining variables between...

Purpose: To determine the impact of interval training frequency in elite endurance athletes. It was hypothesized that two longer sessions would elicit greater performance improvements and physiological adaptation than four shorter sessions at the same intensity. Methods: Elite cross-country skiers and biathletes were randomly assigned to either...

New findings: What is the central question of this study? We set out to test the hypothesis that hemoglobin mass and red blood cell volume would become increased in elite cyclists training in a hot environment compared to control group training in normal temperature. What is the main finding and its importance? We demonstrate that five weeks of he...

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of time‐ and effort‐matched high‐intensity intervals on physiological, endocrine and skeletal muscle molecular variables in elite cyclists. Eight elite cyclists performed short intervals (SI: 30‐s) and long intervals (LI: 5‐min) with work:recovery ratio 2:1, using a randomized crossover des...

In this study, we compare the effects of isocaloric high (HIGH: 2 g.kg‐1.d‐1, n = 19) and low protein diet (LOW: 1 g.kg‐1.d‐1, n = 19) on changes in body composition, muscle strength, and endocrine variables in response to a 10‐day military field exercise with energy deficit, followed by seven days of recovery. Body composition (DXA), one repetitio...

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 weeks with three weekly sessions (ie, nine sessions in total) of short intervals (SI; n = 9; 3 series with 13 × 30-second work intervals interspersed with 15-second recovery and 3-minutes recovery between series) against effort-matched (rate of perceived effort based) long intervals (LI; n =...

Key points For individuals showing suboptimal adaptations to resistance training, manipulation of training volume is a potential measure to facilitate responses. This remains unexplored. Here, 34 untrained individuals performed contralateral resistance training with moderate and low volume for 12 weeks. Moderate volume led to larger increases in mu...

Purpose: To compare the effects of a 1-week high-intensity aerobic-training shock microcycle composed of either 5 short-interval sessions (SI; n = 9, 5 series with 12 × 30-s work intervals interspersed with 15-s recovery and 3-min recovery between series) or 5 long-interval sessions (LI; n = 8, 6 series of 5-min work intervals with 2.5-min recover...

Purpose: Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is a widely used tool to assess subjective perception of effort during exercise. The authors investigated between-subject variation and effect of exercise mode and sex on Borg RPE (6-20) in relation to heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), and capillary blood lactate concentrations. Methods: A total of...

Background: Cycling competitions are often of long duration and include repeated high-intensity efforts. Purpose: To investigate the effect of repeated maximal sprints during 4 hours of low-intensity cycling on gross efficiency (GE), electromyography patterns, and pedaling technique compared with work-matched low-intensity cycling in elite cycli...

Purpose: Maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max) is a key determinant of endurance performance. Therefore, devising high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that maximizes stress of the oxygen-transport and -utilization systems may be important to stimulate further adaptation in athletes. The authors compared physiological and perceptual responses elicited...

Purpose: Accumulated time at a high percentage of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) is important for improving performance in endurance athletes. The present study compared the acute effect of a roller-ski skating session containing work intervals with a fast start followed by decreasing speed (DEC) with a traditional session where the work interv...

Background: Block periodization (BP) has been proposed as an alternative to traditional (TRAD) organization of the annual training plan for endurance athletes. Objective: To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to evaluate the effect BP of endurance training on endurance performance and factors determinative for endurance performance in...

Endurance athletes usually achieve performance peaking with 2–4 weeks of overload training followed by 1–3 weeks of tapering. With a tight competition schedule, this may not be appropriate. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of a compressed variant of the recommended overload and tapering approach (EXP; n=9, VO2peak=77±5 mL·min−1...

Purpose To compare the effects of short-sprint training (SST) and heavy-strength training (HST) following a 4-week strength-training period on sprint and endurance capacities in well-trained cyclists. Methods Twenty-eight competitive cyclists (age 29 ± 6 years) with maximal oxygen uptake () of 61.1 ± 5.9 mL⋅min–1⋅kg–1 participated. After a 4-weeks...

This paper reports temporal changes in physiological measurements of exercise performance in a young man transitioning from alpine skiing until he became a world junior champion time trial cyclist after only 3 yr of bike-specific training. At the time he became World Champion he also achieved among the highest reported maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o 2m...

Resistance-exercise volume is a determinant of training outcomes. However not all individuals respond in a dose-dependent fashion. In this study, 34 healthy individuals (males n = 16, age 23.6 (4.1) years; females n = 18, 22.0 (1.3) years) performed moderate- (3 sets per exercise, MOD) and low-volume (1 set, LOW) resistance training contralateral f...