Effects of anaerobic power bicycle training on the lower-limb anaerobic exercise ability of female basketball players

Enhancing the anaerobic capacity of female basketball players is vital for improving competitiveness and performance. Power bicycle training, a high-intensity anaerobic exercise, improves lower-limb muscle strength and explosive power. Power bicycle training involves progressive increases in load in high-intensity intervals, making it an effective training method for athletes. To determine the effectiveness of power bicycle training for enhancing anaerobic capacity and evaluate its correlation with cost-effective measurement metrics. Overall, 47 female athletes from Hainan Province who participated in the National University Basketball League were divided into the control group ( n = 23) and the training group ( n = 24). The training group underwent a 4-week, 7-session power cycling program, twice per week, with four power cycling sessions. Body composition and lower-limb morphology were measured quarterly. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software. No significant differences in power cycling metrics were observed between the groups before training ( p > 0.05). After training, significant differences were observed between the groups ( p < 0.05). Key power cycling metrics, including average power, average power/body weight ratio, minimum power, and total power, were significantly influenced by the number of training sessions ( p < 0.05). Notably, power increased after sessions 5 and 6 compared with after sessions 1 and 3 ( p < 0.05). Strong positive correlations were observed between anaerobic power cycling and lower-limb muscle mass and circumference. Multiple linear regression models for power cycling metrics were developed. The method proposed in this study is effective for developing training models, especially when physical assessments or experimental tools are unavailable. It represents a time-saving, cost-effective approach for practical training guidance.