Routledge Handbook of Cycling Science

Richard Davison is an internationally-recognized exercise physiologist with 35+ years of academic and coaching experience. He is a Fellow of and was the President of the European College of Sport Sciences 2024 Glasgow Congress, currently a Visiting Professor of Exercise Physiology at the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland, The School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, UK. He has held editorial board positions at many of the main sport science journals including the Journal of Sports Sciences, the Journal of Sport Medicine and the Journal of Science and Cycling. He is a Fellow and former Chair and Honorary Treasurer of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. He was also an editor of the BASES Physiological Testing Guidelines since 1996. He also spent 22 years working for British Cycling as a Coach Educator. Richard's expertise on cycling performance specifically and his research findings have been applied to coaching riders to win British and World Championships and compete at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.Arthur Henrique Bossi, PhD is a lecturer and applied researcher at Edinburgh Napier University, specialising in exercise physiology and endurance performance. Over the past decade, he has combined innovative academic research with hands-on coaching and consultancy in the cycling industry. His work centres on understanding individual responses to exercise training and translating that knowledge into personalised performance interventions. Before taking up his lectureship, Dr Bossi spent more than 12 years coaching cyclists at every level, from beginners to elite mountain bikers, and served as a consultant for the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland. This breadth of experience, spanning both the laboratory and the field, has given him a deep understanding of the cyclist-bicycle interaction and the physiological determinants of endurance performance. He brings a practical, evidence-based perspective to this book, firmly grounded in the realities of competitive cycling.

• 1. Introduction Section 1: Demands of Competitive Cycling 2. Demands of Competitive Cycling: Short-Distance Events 3. Biomechanics of Sprint Cycling 4. Demands of Endurance Cycling Races 5. Ultra-Endurance Cycling 6. The Demands of Multi-Stage Cycling Races 7. Off-Road Races Section 2: Physiological and Performance Assessment for Cyclists 8. Critical Power: Theory, Methods, and Application 9. Body Composition in Cycling Performance 10. Explosive Power 11. Incremental Testing in Cycling 12. Neuromuscular Fatigability and Fatigue Resistance During Cycling 13. Utilising Training Data to Monitor Physical Progression and Fatigue Section 3: Training for Cycling Performance 14. Individual Differences in Cycling: Genetics, Training Response, Nutrition, and Pacing 15. Training Zones 16. Power-Based Measurement and Training in Cycling 17. Heart Rate-Based Training 18. Training Load Monitoring in Cycling 19. Improvement of Cycling Performance by Means of Strength Training 20. Training Intensity Distribution (TID) In Cyclists: A Review of Evidence and Methodological Challenges 21. Tapering and Peaking for Road Cycling Events Section 4: Bike Setup for Comfort and Performance 22. Aerodynamics and Bike Fit 23. Physiological And Biomechanical Basis for Positional Optimisation Section 5: Nutritional Strategies for Cycling Performance 24. Carbohydrates – Storage, Utilization and Implications for Performance in Cycling 25. Hydration in Cycling 26. Dietary Strategies to Effectively Reduce Body Mass 27. Supplements to Improve Cycling Performance Section 6: Cycling Racing Strategies 28. Climbing 29. Pacing Strategy in Cycling 30. Group Riding Dynamics 31. Performance Analysis in Cycling Section 7: Specialist Cycling Applications and Unique Groups 32. Hand Cycling 33. The Master Cyclist 34. The Female Cyclist Lesley Ingram-Sills 35. Paracycling 36. The Youth Cyclist Section 8: Environmental Factors Affecting Cycling Performance 37. Altitude 38. Cycling in the Heat – Challenges and Opportunities 39. Cold 40. Vibration Measurement in Cycling: Methods and Applications Section 9: The Role of Sport Science in Coaching Cyclists 41. Integrating Sports Science into Effective Coaching Practices 42. Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Coaching 43. Cycling Injuries and Illness