The Effects of Dehydration on Metabolic and Neuromuscular Functionality during Cycling

Francesco Campa, Alessandro Piras, Milena Raffi, Aurelio Trofè, Monica Perazzolo, Gabriele Mascherini and Stefania Toselli
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Francesco Campa: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Alessandro Piras: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Milena Raffi: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Aurelio Trofè: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Monica Perazzolo: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Gabriele Mascherini: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, AOUC, 50139 Careggi, Florence, Italy
Stefania Toselli: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the effects of dehydration on metabolic and neuromuscular functionality performance during a cycling exercise. Ten male subjects (age 23.4 ± 2.7 years; body weight 74.6 ± 10.4 kg; height 177.3 ± 4.6 cm) cycled at 65% VO 2max for 60 min followed by a time-to-trial (TT) at 95% VO 2max , in two different conditions: dehydration (DEH) and hydration (HYD). The bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) and body weight measurements were performed to assess body fluid changes. Heart rate (HR), energy cost, minute ventilation, oxygen uptake, and metabolic power were evaluated during the experiments. In addition, neuromuscular activity of the vastus medialis and biceps femoris muscles were assessed by surface electromyography. After exercise induced dehydration, the bioimpedance vector significantly lengthens along the major axis of the BIVA graph, in conformity with the body weight change (−2%), that indicates a fluid loss. Metabolic and neuromuscular parameters significantly increased during TT at 95% VO 2max with respect to constant workload at 65% of VO 2max . Dehydration during a one-hour cycling test and subsequent TT caused a significant increase in HR, while neuromuscular function showed a lower muscle activation in dehydration conditions on both constant workload and on TT. Furthermore, a significant difference between HYD and DEH for TT duration was found.

Keywords: bioimpedance; BIVA; body composition; hydration status; phase angle; vector length (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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