Muscle fiber composition and riding strengths

[Owlie]

Does anyone know if there's a connection between relative amounts of each type of muscle fiber and riding strengths (climber vs. sprinter)? It makes sense that there would be one between type I vs type II amounts and being a spinner vs. a masher. I was just wondering if there was a more general connection.

I'd do a literature search, but no longer being a student means I no longer have journal access.

[Zen]

Sure there is but I'm too busy too look it up.
It's just individual physiology. Like in track, some people are fast twitch(sprinters) and some are slow twitch (distance).

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/a...eFiberType.htm

[Owlie]

See, that I knew, but what I can find gives a general "distance cycling uses predominantly type I fibers".

[Zen]

You want something like a percentage?
I doubt that's available. How would they obtain that information?
Cyclist cadaver donations?

[OakLeaf]

I'm always amazed when I read about these studies that involve multiple quadriceps biopsies. Who would volunteer for that? Ow! Ow! Ow! It's no wonder the sample sizes are usually so small.

[Owlie]

I'm always amazed when I read about these studies that involve multiple quadriceps biopsies. Who would volunteer for that? Ow! Ow! Ow! It's no wonder the sample sizes are usually so small.

Broke college students? I had a biochem professor who told us about a researcher at UT Austin who did a lot of muscle studies. Apparently this guy wouldn't put his subjects through a test that he wouldn't be willing to do on himself...the end result was that he had a lot of scars on his thighs...

It would make sense that cyclists tend to have a high proportion of type I fibers (although it's pretty true for humans generally). My question is: Within that, do sprinters possess a greater proportion of type IIb fibers and climbers a greater proportion of type IIa? Or is it general physique that makes a climber (you know, short and skinny)?