Previous experience influences pacing during 20 km time trial cycling

<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective</jats:title><jats:p>To investigate how experience and feedback influence pacing and performance during time trial cycling.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design</jats:title><jats:p>Twenty-nine cyclists performed three 20 km cycling time trials using a Computrainer. The first two time trials (TT1 and TT2) were performed (1) without any performance feedback (n = 10), (2) with accurate performance feedback (n = 10) or (3) with false feedback showing the speed to be 5% greater than the actual speed (n = 9). All participants received full feedback during the third time trial (TT3), and their performance and pacing data were compared against TT2.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Completion time, average power and average speed did not change among the false feedback group, but their pacing strategy did change as indicated by a lower average cadence, 89.2 (SD 5.2) vs 96.4 (6.8) rpm, p&lt;0.05, and higher power during the first 5 km (SMD = 39, 36, 36, 27 and 27 W for 1–5 km respectively). Pacing changed among the blind feedback group indicated by a faster completion time, 35.9 (3.1) vs 36.8 (4.4) min, p&lt;0.05, and power increases during the final 5 km (SMD = 14, 13, 18, 23 and 53 W for 16–20 km respectively). No performance or pacing changes were observed among the accurate feedback group.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Pacing is influenced by an interaction between feedback and previous experience. Conscious cognitive processes that lead to ratings of perceived exertion and pacing appear to be influenced by previous experience.</jats:p></jats:sec>