Participants
RECRUITMENT
Sample size calculations using data from the most comparable study at the time of design (Participant inclusion criteria were aged 18–55 yr, experience in competing in cycle road racing or triathlon, and the ability to hold a mean power output above 300 W (220 W for females) for a 10-mile TT. Participant characteristics are shown in Participants’ anthropometric and performance characteristicsValues represent mean ± SD for total cohort (Participants were recruited by word-of-mouth, flyers, and social media. For participant recruitment flow chart, see Flow chart detailing participant recruitment and drop-out. The current study started in early March 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK. The UK Government announced the first COVID-19 lock-down on March 23, 2020, and the research laboratories where this study was conducted were closed until October 2020. Two further periods of UK-wide lock-down, and guidance to work from home until February 2022 significantly impacted the recruitment cycles of this project, the retention of participants enrolled in the study, and the length of time the study was conducted over.Before each experimental visit, participants were instructed to avoid vigorous exercise (24 h prior) and abstain from consuming alcohol (48 h abstinence), caffeine (8 h abstinence), and analgesics (12 h abstinence). The study received full ethical approval (Prop 36_2019_20) and was conducted in conformity with the Declaration of Helsinki (but without being registered).