Strength training improves cycling performance, fractional utilization of VO2max and cycling economy in female cyclists
Participants
n=19 well-trained female cyclists, randomly assigned: 11 to endurance + heavy strength training (E+S) vs 8 to endurance training only (E)
Protocol
11 weeks. Both groups continued their normal endurance training; E+S added heavy strength training (the abstract names one-legged leg press as a tested 1RM exercise; the full exercise list and set/rep scheme are in the full text; not checked against the abstract).
Key Findings
1RM one-legged leg press and quadriceps cross-sectional area (CSA): increased more in E+S than in E (p<0.05)
Mean power in a 40-min all-out trial: improved in E+S (p<0.05)
Fractional utilization of VO2max: improved in E+S (p<0.05) — more of the ceiling used
Cycling economy: improved in E+S (p<0.05)
Fibre type: proportion of type IIAX-IIX fibres in m. vastus lateralis reduced in E+S with a concomitant increase in type IIA (p<0.05)
E group: no changes in any of these
Individual change in 40-min power correlated with change in IIAX-IIX proportion (r = -0.63) and with change in muscle CSA (r = 0.73)
Practical Application
In 19 well-trained female cyclists, 11 weeks of heavy strength training added to normal endurance training (E+S, n=11) improved 40-min all-out mean power, fractional utilization of VO2max and cycling economy versus endurance-only (n=8), which changed nothing; the gains tracked quadriceps CSA growth (r = 0.73) and a shift from type IIAX-IIX towards type IIA fibres (r = -0.63).
The mechanism the authors propose is structural: bigger quadriceps and less fatigable fibre types let the rider sustain a higher fraction of VO2max at lower oxygen cost — so expect the benefit in sustained efforts of tens of minutes, not in VO2max itself.
Inference, not tested: the same power at a lower fraction of the aerobic ceiling leaves more reserve for long distance.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: run heavy lower-body work twice a week through a base block and keep it maintained into race season rather than dropping it entirely.
Limitations
Small parallel RCT (11 vs 8) over 11 weeks; a single research group.
Women only, well-trained; men, elites and masters are not represented here.
Correlations between performance change and muscle changes are within-group associations (r = -0.63, 0.73), not proof of mechanism.
The abstract gives the direction and significance of the effects, not their size.
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from A: parallel RCT, n=19 (11 vs 8)
Content correction 2026-09-27
"Leg press 4-6RM, 2×/week" -> not in the abstract; replaced with the abstract's description (heavy strength training added to normal endurance training; one-legged leg press 1RM tested) and a full-text label.
Level A -> B (parallel RCT, n=19). Added a Practical Application section with the abstract's findings as the card lead; former "Conclusion" kept as a labelled inference.