BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Vinnie is a professional road cyclist participating in the 2020Giro d’Italia, a three-week race nearly 3,600 km in distance withsome stages exceeding altitudes of 2,700 m above sea level (i.e.,Stelvio Pass, Italy). As the newly hired head of thehigh-performance team, it is your responsibility to manage hispreparation for the event. You must demonstrate to your team afundamental understanding of physiology, the chronic adaptationsexpected from his training, and methods that could be implementedto improve the likelihood of success.
QUESTION
Given that the average distance of each leg is 170.5 km indistance, and sometimes undulating in elevation, you understandthat fatigue is inevitable. The energy depletion model of fatiguefocuses around the concept that depleted substrates are just onesource of fatigue, particularly observed in muscle glycogen andphosphocreatine stores.
A. As an aerobic event, why do you expect depletion in glycogenand phosphocreatine?
B. Why, specifically, is it crucial to replenish muscle glycogenstores prior to the next leg?
