REF-279 · Brock, Antonellis, Black, DiMenna, Vanhatalo, Jones & Bailey, 2018 · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, · Paper · PubMed
Improvement of Oxygen-Uptake Kinetics and Cycling Performance With Combined Prior Exercise and Fast Start
Participants
n=9 men (training status not stated in the abstract)
Protocol
Four target-work trials (114 ± 17 kJ — a simulated 4-km time trial) in a repeated-measures crossover design
Start: 12-s all-out vs self-selected; each preceded by severe-intensity (70%Δ) priming exercise or no priming
Key Results
VO2 mean response time was lowest in the all-out + primed condition (20 ± 6 s) versus all-out unprimed (23 ± 6 s), self-paced unprimed (42 ± 13 s) and self-paced primed (42 ± 11 s) (P < .05); all-out unprimed was also faster than both self-paced trials
Completion time was shorter in the all-out primed trial (402 ± 14 s) than in all-out unprimed (408 ± 14 s), self-paced unprimed (411 ± 16 s) and self-paced primed (411 ± 19 s) (P < .05), with no differences among the latter three — i.e. neither priming alone nor a fast start alone improved performance; only the combination did
Combining severe-intensity priming with a short all-out start expedites the VO2 adjustment and improves a ~4-km-TT-length effort more than either alone (authors' conclusion)
Mechanism
Priming raises perfusion and oxidative-enzyme activation before the effort; a short all-out start forces the VO2 demand up immediately, so the early O2 deficit is smaller and less of the finite anaerobic reserve is spent — in this trial the two were complementary for performance, which REF-273 (all-out pacing throughout, rather than a 12-s opening) had not found. (Mechanistic chain is inference; the abstract reports MRT and completion times only.)
Practical Application
In 9 men, a simulated 4-km TT (~6.7-6.9 min) was ~9 s faster (402 vs 411 s) when a severe-intensity priming bout was combined with a 12-s all-out start; priming alone or a fast start alone gave no gain over self-paced unprimed riding — prime in the warm-up AND open hard, then settle to target pace, not a prolonged surge
The benefit is demonstrated for a short high-intensity event of ~7 min; Inference, not tested: nothing here speaks to efforts of half an hour or longer
Limitations
n=9, laboratory simulated TT, short-duration event only; training status of the men not stated in the abstract
Results rewritten from the abstract on 2026-09-08 (identity fix); the full text was not re-read
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from B+: crossover, n=9 (<15)
Content correction 2026-09-27
Completion times (402/408/411/411 s) added from the abstract; the practical bullet now states that priming alone and fast start alone did not improve performance.
"4-6 min" effort -> ~6.7-6.9 min per the abstract's completion times; "trained cyclists" -> "men, training status not stated"; "30 min or longer" marked as inference.
Level B+ -> B (crossover, n=9).