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VU Research Portal Optimal pacing strategy in competitive athletic performance Hettinga, F.J. 2008 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Hettinga, F. J. (2008). Optimal pacing strategy in competitive athletic performance. PrintPartners Ipskamp. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 02. Oct. 2021 Optimal pacing strategy in competitive athletic performance ‘Wie sterk is moet ook slim zijn’ Florentina J. Hettinga The research presented in the present thesis was performed at the Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands in association with and partly funded by TNO, Defence, Security and Safety, Soesterberg and NOC*NSF. ISBN: 978 90 8659 245 6 Art on cover: ‘Velocity’, by Jaap Hettinga, expressive artist, Amersfoort Web-site: home.hetnet.nl/~artre Printer: PrintPartners Ipskamp B.V., Enschede © F.J. Hettinga, Amsterdam 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author. VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Optimal pacing strategy in competitive athletic performance ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. L.M. Bouter, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de faculteit der Bewegingswetenschappen op donderdag 2 oktober 2008 om 13.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Florentina Johanna Hettinga geboren te Amersfoort promotoren: prof.dr. H.A.M. Daanen prof.dr. C. Foster copromotor: dr. J.J. de Koning Optimal pacing strategy in competitive, athletic performance ‘Wie sterk is moet ook slim zijn’ Ο λαγός και η χελώνα Μύθος του Αισώπου Ένα ανοιξιάτικο πρωινό ένας λαγός είχε βγει έξω από την φωλιά του και έτρωγε φρέσκο χορταράκι. Καθώς έτρωγε, είδε μια χελώνα να περνάει λίγο πιο μακριά και του φάνηκε τόσο αστείο το περπάτημα της, που άρχισε να την κοροϊδεύει ότι ήταν πιο αργή και από τα σαλιγκάρια. Η χελώνα σταμάτησε, γύρισε προς τον λαγό και του είπε:- Τι θα έλεγες να τρέξουμε σε ένα αγώνα δρόμου για να δούμε ποιος είναι πιο γρήγορος από τους δυο Αυτό ήταν! Ο λαγός έπεσε κάτω και άρχισε να χτυπιέται από τα γέλια. Βλέποντας όμως ότι η χελώνα παρέμενε σοβαρή, κατάλαβε ότι δεν του το είπε για αστείο και έτσι δέχτηκε την πρόκληση. Η αλεπού ως καταλληλότερη, όρισε το σημείο που θα ξεκινούσαν, την διαδρομή και το σημείο τερματισμού. Ο αγώνας ορίστηκε για το επόμενο πρωινό και πράγματι, οι δύο διαγωνιζόμενοι καθώς και πολλά ζώα του δάσους βρίσκονταν πρωί πρωί στην αφετηρία. Η αλεπού έδωσε το σύνθημα και ο αγώνας ξεκίνησε. Η χελώνα χωρίς να χάσει χρόνο άρχισε να περπατάει, αργά βέβαια, και ήδη είχε καλύψει τα πρώτα εκατοστά της διαδρομής. Ο λαγός βλέποντας τον ρυθμό της αντιπάλου του, και νυστάζοντας μιας και ήταν πολύ πρωί, σκέφτηκε να κοιμηθεί λιγάκι και όταν ξυπνήσει θα έτρεχε όπως μόνο αυτός μπορεί και θα τερμάτιζε σίγουρα πρώτος. Έτσι η χελώνα συνέχισε να περπατάει, στην ορισμένη από την αλεπού διαδρομή, ενώ ο λαγός το έριξε στον ύπνο. Πέρασε αρκετή ώρα και κάποια στιγμή ο λαγός ξύπνησε. Καιρός για τρέξιμο είπε και ξεκίνησε. Παραξενεύτηκε πολύ που δεν συναντούσε την χελώνα και για μια στιγμή σκέφτηκε ότι θα είχε εγκαταλείψει τον αγώνα αφού έτσι κι αλλιώς τον είχε χαμένο από χέρι. Περισσότερο όμως ξέρετε πότε παραξενεύτηκε; Όταν έφτασε στο σημείο τερματισμού και είδε την χελώνα να τον περιμένει μασώντας ένα φυλλαράκι και έχοντας μια έκφραση θριάμβου στο πρόσωπο της.Έτσι η χελώνα κέρδισε τον λαγό σε αγώνα δρόμου, όχι βέβαια γιατί τρέχει πιο γρήγορα από αυτόν, αλλά γιατί παρέμεινε πιστή στον σκοπό της και δεν έδειξε όπως ο λαγός αλαζονεία. AESOP (620-560 BC) TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 9 Prologue: general introduction and outline of the thesis CHAPTER 2 23 Pacing strategy and the occurrence of fatigue in 4000-m cycling time trials Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Broersen FT, Van Geffen P, Foster C. Pacing strategy and the occurrence of fatigue in 4000-m cycling time trials. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2006; 38(8): 1484-1491. CHAPTER 3 41 Effect of pacing strategy on energy expenditure during a 1500-m cycling time trial Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Meijer E, Teunissen L, Foster C. The effect of pacing strategy on energy expenditure during a 1500-m cycling time trial. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2007; 39(12): 2212-2218. CHAPTER 4 57 The effect of time trial distance on anaerobic work during cycling De Koning JJ, Hettinga FJ, Goede SL, Groen W, Foster C. The effect of time trial distance on anaerobic work during cycling. (under revision). CHAPTER 5 71 The effect of ambient temperature on gross efficiency in cycling Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, De Vrijer A, Wüst RCI, Daanen HAM, Foster C. The effect of ambient temperature on gross efficiency in cycling. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2007; 101(4): 465-471. CHAPTER 6 87 VO2 response in supra-maximal cycling time trial exercise Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Foster C. VO2 response in supra-maximal cycling time trial exercise. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. (in press). CHAPTER 7 103 Relative importance of strategy and mean power output in 1500-m self-paced cycling Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Hulleman M, Foster C. Relative importance of strategy and mean power output in 1500-m self-paced cycling. (submitted). CHAPTER 8 123 Effect of imposing a theoretical optimal pacing strategy compared to self-paced competition in 1500-m speed skating Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Schmidt L, Wind N, MacIntosh B, Foster C. Effect of imposing a theoretical optimal pacing strategy compared to self-paced competition in 1500-m speed skating. (submitted). CHAPTER 9 141 Epilogue: general discussion SUMMARY 149 Summary of the thesis SAMENVATTING 153 Dutch summary of the thesis DANKWOORD 157 Words of thanks LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 161 Publications of Florentina J. Hettinga CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE Prologue 11 The tortoise and the hare, Aesop (620 - 560 BC) The hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," he said, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me." The tortoise said quietly: "I accept your challenge." "That is a good joke," said the hare. "I could dance around you all the way!" "Keep your boasting until you've beaten," answered the tortoise. "Shall we race?" So a course was fixed and a start was made. The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the hare awoke from his nap, he saw the tortoise nearing the finish line and he could not catch up in time to save the race. Source: Joseph Jacobs, The Fables of Aesop (London, 1894), no. 68. This fable shows that pacing strategy was already an issue about 2500 years ago, when the story was written by the Greek storyteller Aesop. Nowadays, it is still an issue in everyday life. In sports performance, it is not only about being stronger than the opponent, but also about being smarter, as the tortoise was, who made optimal use of his capacities. This is illustrated by the words of Dutch elite speed skater Simon Kuipers after his winning race against his direct opponent Erben Wennemars to earn a world cup ticket. Simon Kuipers vs. Erben Wennemars: Daarom besloot Kuipers zijn tactiek aan te passen aan de opponent. “Ik heb op de persoon gereden,” erkende hij, “ik moest snel openen, anders kon Erben op de kruising achter mij aan schaatsen. Ik concentreerde me vooral op die eerste 700 m. Dat was de enige manier om deze rit te winnen.” Source: www.knsb.nl. [That was the reason Kuipers decided to adjust his tactics to the opponent. “I chose my pacing strategy based on the opponent. I had to open really fast, otherwise Erben could draft behind me at the crossing. So I focused on the first 700 m, that was the only way to win the race.”] Because the tortoise knew the capabilities of his own body (keeping a steady pace), he was able to win. Being aware or not aware of your own capabilities is also a familiar issue in sports performance, as illustrated by the following: Bedrogen door het eigen gevoel. Dat overkwam de atleten Bram Som en Arnoud Okken op de 800 m al in de series met een kansloze uitschakeling. ”Ik had erop gegokt dat ik zou kunnen meesprinten. Dat gaf mijn gevoel aan, en op dat gevoel heb ik altijd kunnen vertrouwen. Wat me het meeste dwarszit, is dat mijn gevoel me nu bedriegt.” Ook Okken had zich laten misleiden door zijn gevoel.

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