Purpose To investigate the hypothesis that a therapeutic oral dose of Tramadol improves cycling time trial performance and compromises motor-cognitive performance in highly trained cyclists. Methods Following two familiarization trials, 16 highly trained cyclists completed a preloaded time trial (1 h at 60% of peak power followed by a 15-km time trial) after ingestion of 100 mg Tramadol or placebo in a double-blind placebo-controlled counterbalanced crossover design separated by at least 4 d washout. Visuomotor tracking and math tasks were completed during the preload (n = 10) to evaluate effects on cognition and fine motor performance. Results Time trial mean power output (298 ± 42 W vs 294 ± 44 W) and performance (1474 ± 77 s vs 1483 ± 85 s) were similar with Tramadol and placebo treatment, respectively. In addition, there were no differences in perceived exertion, reported pain, blood pH, lactate, or bicarbonate concentrations across trials. Heart rate was higher (P < 0.001) during the Tramadol time trial (171 ± 8 bpm) compared with placebo (167 ± 9 bpm). None of the combined motor-cognitive tasks were impaired by Tramadol ingestion, in fact fine motor performance was slightly improved (P < 0.05) in the Tramadol trial compared with placebo. Conclusions In highly trained cyclists, ingestion of 100 mg Tramadol does not improve performance in a 15-km cycling time trial that was completed after a 1-h preload at 60% peak power. Additionally, a therapeutic dose of Tramadol does not compromise complex motor-cognitive or simple fine motor performances.
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