The Aerodynamics and Energy Cost Assessment of an Able-Bodied Cyclist and Amputated Models by Computer Fluid Dynamics
by
Pedro Forte 1,2,3,*
, Daniel A. Marinho 3,4, Ricardo Silveira 1,3, Tiago M. Barbosa 2,3 and Jorge E. Morais 1,2,3
Pedro Forte 1,2,3,*, Daniel A. Marinho 3,4, Ricardo Silveira 1,3, Tiago M. Barbosa 2,3 and Jorge E. Morais 1,2,3
1
Department of Sports, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of the Douro, 4560-708 Penafiel, Portugal
2
Departamento de Desporto e Educação Física, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
3
Research Center for Sports Health and Human Development, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
4
Department of Sports Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Medicina 2020, 56(5), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56050241
Received: 30 March 2020 / Revised: 13 May 2020 / Accepted: 14 May 2020 / Published: 18 May 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Physiology in Para Sports)
Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the drag and energy cost of three cyclists assessed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and analytical procedures. Materials and methods: A transradial (Tr) and transtibial (Tt) were compared to a full-body cyclist at different speeds. An elite male cyclist with 65 kg of mass and 1.72 m of height volunteered for this research with his competition cloths, helmet and bicycle with 5 kg of mass. A 3D model of the bicycle and cyclist in the upright position was obtained for numerical simulations. Upon that, two more models were created, simulating elbow and knee-disarticulated athletes. Numerical simulations by computational fluid dynamics and analytical procedures were computed to assess drag and energy cost, respectively. Results: One-Way ANOVA presented no significant differences between cyclists for drag (F = 0.041; p = 0.960; η2 = 0.002) and energy cost (F = 0.42; p = 0.908; η2 = 0.002). Linear regression presented a very high adjustment for absolute drag values between able-bodied and Tr (R2 = 1.000; Ra2 = 1.000; SEE = 0.200) and Tt (R2 = 1.00; Ra2 = 1.000; SEE = 0.160). The linear regression for energy cost presented a very high adjustment for absolute values between able-bodied and Tr (R2 = 1.000; Ra2 = 1.000; SEE = 0.570) and Tt (R2 = 1.00; Ra2 = 1.00; SEE = 0.778). Conclusions: This study suggests that drag and energy cost was lower in the able-bodied, followed by the Tr and Tt cyclists.
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Keywords:
CFD; energy cost; amputee; cyclists; comparison
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MDPI and ACS Style
Forte, P.; Marinho, D.A.; Silveira, R.; Barbosa, T.M.; Morais, J.E. The Aerodynamics and Energy Cost Assessment of an Able-Bodied Cyclist and Amputated Models by Computer Fluid Dynamics. Medicina 2020, 56, 241.
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