Stress/recovery balance during the Girobio: profile of highly trained road cyclists

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine and compare the magnitude of pre–post recovery and stress scores among highly trained cyclists participating in the “Girobio”, and (b) identify stress/recovery balance factors that remained constant from pre- to post-race testing. Sixty-seven cyclists with extensive international experience and representing various teams participated in the study. Data were collected during the Girobio-2012, a multi-stage competition for Under 23 and Elite cycling categories, held annually in Italy. Participants responded to the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Sport 1 day before the first stage (test, T1) and on the day of the ninth/final stage (i.e., 5 h prior to the start) (retest, T2). Compared to test scores, at retest we expected to find higher stress and lower recovery values for all subscales with the exception of self-efficacy and self-regulation, which reflect goal-oriented experiences rather than psychophysical states linked to a given race. Overall, results were in this expected direction. No significant effects were found for one general stress subscale (i.e., Conflict/Pressure), two general recovery subscales (i.e., Success and Social Recovery), and two sport-specific recovery subscales (i.e., Personal Accomplishment, and Self-Efficacy), thus suggesting the stability of these stress/recovery factors over time. Collectively, these findings reinforce the importance of assessing multiple indicators of stress/recovery balance to establish mental training guidelines aimed at addressing and preventing both temporary and relatively chronic maladaptation among cyclists.