Submaximal aerobic fitness indices and body mass are key determinants of mountain biking performance, though they only explain a portion of the variance.
The results of this study suggest that submaximal indices of aerobic fitness such as PO and Vo(2) at RCT are more important determinants of off road cycling performance than maximal indices such as PPO and Vo(2max). This study confirms the importance of body mass for mountain biking performance. As aerobic fitness explained only 40% of the variance, other physiological and technical factors should be investigated, as they may be important determinants of cross country performance among elite mountain bikers.
Impellizzeri et al. (Fri,) studied this question.