We completed this study a couple of years ago but finally got around to publishing it. The original idea for the study design was sparked by some of the discussions on this forum (thanks for your help) so I thought some of you might be interested. Nothing earth shattering and the study certainly has its limitations but it adds to the body of knowledge. BTW, don't critique the pictures too harshly, they were taken rather quickly and don't accurately represent the more precise positioning of the subjects.
The study is published here: http://www.asep.org/journals/JEPonline and is available full-text online. Just open the link to the current issue (Feb 2008) and go to the second page of the table of contents to download the article. The abstract is below for those who just want the cliff notes.
Effects of Seat-Tube Angle on the Metabolic Cost of the Cycle-Run Transition in Triathletes. JEPonline 2008; 11(1):45-52. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two different (73° and 81°) seat-tube angles (STA) on cardiorespiratory measures during cycling and a subsequent treadmill run. Ten male triathletes completed a 40-minute “time-trial” at a pre-determined workload on a cycle ergometer at 73° and 81° STAs and immediately transitioned to running on a treadmill at a pre-determined pace. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) data were collected during the last 5-minutes of cycling and first 5-minutes of running. Consistent hip and knee angles were maintained between cycling conditions. There were no differences in VO2 for cycling or running between the 73° and 81° STA conditions. Heart rate was significantly lower during cycling at the 73° STA (p<0.05). There were no differences in running heart rates. These results suggest that if bicycle seat-tube angle is changed, but hip and knee angles remain consistent, there is no difference in the metabolic cost of cycling or a subsequent treadmill run.
Kurt
The study is published here: http://www.asep.org/journals/JEPonline and is available full-text online. Just open the link to the current issue (Feb 2008) and go to the second page of the table of contents to download the article. The abstract is below for those who just want the cliff notes.
Effects of Seat-Tube Angle on the Metabolic Cost of the Cycle-Run Transition in Triathletes. JEPonline 2008; 11(1):45-52. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two different (73° and 81°) seat-tube angles (STA) on cardiorespiratory measures during cycling and a subsequent treadmill run. Ten male triathletes completed a 40-minute “time-trial” at a pre-determined workload on a cycle ergometer at 73° and 81° STAs and immediately transitioned to running on a treadmill at a pre-determined pace. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) data were collected during the last 5-minutes of cycling and first 5-minutes of running. Consistent hip and knee angles were maintained between cycling conditions. There were no differences in VO2 for cycling or running between the 73° and 81° STA conditions. Heart rate was significantly lower during cycling at the 73° STA (p<0.05). There were no differences in running heart rates. These results suggest that if bicycle seat-tube angle is changed, but hip and knee angles remain consistent, there is no difference in the metabolic cost of cycling or a subsequent treadmill run.
Kurt