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Cycling Training Tips

Introduction to Training with Power Meter

Power meters like SRM, Ergomo and Powertap are very useful if you want to optimize your training and start getting better results. Before you throw away all your pocket money consider how serious you are with your training. If you find it very difficult to stick to a rigid training scheme, doing specific intervals in heart rate target zones, then a power meter might not be the best choice for you. If you think that analyzing your performances or registrating your training sessions is a waste of time, then you are probably not ready for cycling with a power meter yet. But if you get excited when you turn on your computer immediately after parking your bike, watching your heart rate file, then you will likely be even more excited about the data from a power meter. If you like to make training plans or have a cycling coach who works out plans for you, then a power meter will be a very powerful tool, which gives you opportunity to make better training plans.

Power meter training starts a new era

Like the heart rate monitors started a new era back in the 80´s, and got mainstream in the mid 90´s, the power meters started a new one in the early 90´s and are now getting popular among amateur riders here in 2006. The SRM crank system was the one and only power meter system in the beginning, but now there are a couple of other systems on the market. Powertap and Ergomo uses different technologies than SRM´s crank system, but they give a precise measurement of watts. SRM is the most expensive system, while Powertap and Ergomo is less expensive. I will not make further comments on the differences between SRM, Powertap and Ergomo, but instead save my words for a review later. What you need to know is, that there are different technologies and different prices. Generally they all allow the workload to be measured correctly.

In the first couple of weeks I will recommend that you just continue to train as normal. It will be a very good education for you to spent this time studying how quickly the power meter react to your effort. People get surprised when they accelerate the bike for the first time and discover that they are pushing more than 500W (for a short while, naturally”¦)

After a few weeks you will be getting more familar with your new equipment. You are now ready to make your first observations with this powerful tool. Before you can start doing intervals or pacing with your power meter, you have to make a test of your physical performance. To make things easy and time saving, I recommend you do a 5 minutes allout test to measure your wattmax. You can use the software that followed your power meter or you can a software system like Cyclingpeaks which offers more opportunities. After your 5 minutes allout test you have to figure out what your average power output was. Also notice your body weight since this is an important factor when comparing test results. You are now able to make your first training program based on test results from your power output.

Make maximum power tests to define your intervals

It is possible to convert your test result to shorter or longer intervals. There will be less accuracy depending on what kind of rider you are. Some people can keep a high percentage of their VO2 max for a very long period of time, and other people who are much better at shorter distances where they can perform impressing high average watts for short intervals. Therefore this table is only a guideline and the best way to define your target zones is to do a test at that specific distance. If you are a track rider and are training for 1km time trials (anaerobic endurance and strength) you will have to test your power output at that distance.

Power output Training examples
Sprinting 200-?? % 5×150m (complete rest)
Anaerobic endurance 100-130% 5x(1+6min)
VO2 max 90-105% 3x(3+2min)
Threshold 85- 90% 3x(8+4min)
Endurance 50-85% 3 hours
Recovery 40-50% 1 hour

Next time you go to a race, use your power meter to collect data from the race. You will see, that you spend time in all the target zones in the table. Have a look at the interesting parts of the race. This investigation is an important part of having a power meter, and it is here you can discover things you would never have found out. You can see the difference it makes in crosswinds to sit behind a bunch of riders compared to suffering in a long line. When you see that big difference, you will definitely try even harder to keep your good position in the bunch in the crosswinds next time.

Time trialists uses watts for pacing

Time trialists love to train with power meters because they can see exactly how good they perform and make it easier for them to see progress. With a little training it is possible to use the power meter as a pacer during the time trial. In this situation they can compare their physical performance from time trial to time trial. These data files are not affected by the wind, course or equipment, so they are very useful to see how the form changes.

If you have a velodrome in your neighborhood you can make tests to improve your position on your bike. Serious time trialists should consider this and at least give it a try. Testing in a wind tunnel is very expensive, so testing on a velodrome with your power meter might be a cheap alternative. When you do the tests you will need at least one assistant to take split times for each lap. With a little training in this setup, you can try different positions and equipment, and see which combination saves most watts. This part of using a power meter is the more challenging part, but I promise, that it is very satisfying when you save a couple of watts.

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Power output during stage race

German scientists have collected data from six professional road cyclist´s during a multi stage race. The riders used the SRM system to measure power outputs and heart rate monitors to record heart rates. This study got my attention, because it shows the benefits of using a power meter in the races instead of just a heart rate monitor. It was published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, January 2006. Before I start advertising more for using a power meter system, I will tell you a little about the study setup.

Before the stage race the six riders performed an incremental cycling test in the laboratory. Peak power output, power output, and heart rate at the lactate threshold and at a lactate increase of 1mM above the lactate threshold were assessed. Based on the test results there were made 3 different intensity zones for both heart rate and power output. Zone 1 was below LT, zone 2 was LT to LT+1mM and finally zone 3 was above LT +1mM. After the testing session the riders were ready to compete in the stage race.

The scientists analyzed the time spent in the three target zones during the 6 stages. There were five mass-starts where the riders averaged 220 Watts and one uphill time trial with an average power output at 392 Watts. This is not breaking news for experienced power meter users. In an uphill time trial riders prefer to ride with a slower cadence and are therefore able to maintain a higher average power output and they have to go fast all the time which also adds Watts to the average power output. In the mass-starts the heart rate monitors over-estimated the time spent in Zone 2, and I am not surprised at all. The heart rate monitors recorded that the riders spent 38% vs. 14% recorded with the power monitor. Heart rate monitors are still valuable, but it is important to know the physiology behind to understand how it works. There is a delay in the heart rate due to oxygen deficit or repayment of oxygen debt. A professional cycling race is either slow or very fast, there is almost nothing in between. But when they ride this stop and go way, the average heart rate will be somewhere in between, in this case this will say Zone 2. This could lead to the wrong conclusion that training in heart rate target zone 2 is optimal for preparation to stage races. Listening to the power meter makes more sense to me, since it tells me instantly what the power output is and therefore gives a much more precise description of the effort.

Reference:
Vogt S, Heinrich L, Schumacher YO, Blum A, Roecker K, Dickhuth HH, Schmid A.
Power output during stage racing in professional road cycling.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Jan;38(1):147-51.

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Improve your performance with a power meter

My theory is that the intelligent rider will achieve more success in his cycling career than his opponents. It is already concluded that it is possible to improve performance through better training principles, better materials and proper nutrition. The intelligent rider uses these conclusions to become an even better rider. One of the places to get more information about training planning, materials and nutrition is on this website. I think that one of the most interesting topics for cyclists and triathletes right now is wattage training. As a cycling coach I can see so many logical ways to use a power meter, that I can only recommend that you afford one.

This blog is updated with news about physiology, exercise and reviews. There is an introduction on how to integrate a power meter like SRM, Ergomo or Powertap in your training. Like the heart rate monitor was the best way to monitor training in the last decade, power meter training is the gold standard now. Power meters are getting affordable, but they are still very expensive. Therefore I suggest you spend some time studying how to get the most out of your investment.

Power meters are getting very popular especially among professionals. It is very easy for them to measure their effort to a cycling coach. As a cycling coach myself I know how difficult it can be to give advices to riders. With the development of power meters I got a very powerful tool to optimize their training. Now it is much easier to discover weaknesses and help my riders to improve. When I make training plans for my riders I can make specific intervals made for their actual level. And the best of it is, that it is much easier for them to ride the intervals as described because the watts are not influenced by the wind, course or equipment.

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5 Simple Tips for a Better Recovery

When you train hard, you deserve to get good results. One of the best moments to improve your performance is the first hour after your training session. Here are 5 simple tips for a better recovery:

Cycling recovery

  1. Drink water
    60% of your body weight is water, so there is buffer system to cover water loss during training. Nevertheless this water loss has a huge impact on your performance and must be replaced as soon as possible. Plain water is under normal circumstances adequate for rehydration, since solid food replaces the electrolytes lost during exercise. Thus, if you eat properly, you do not need to take any supplements to make it up for the electrolytes. Under very hot conditions it is though necessary to replace electrolytes as well as the lost water.
  2. Eat carbohydrates
    Blood glucose concentration regulates the secretion of insulin, which works as an anabolic steroid for you after training. Thus, we are interested in eating carbohydrates to stimulate the secretion of insulin and get all the benefits of this naturally hormone. Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose from blood into cells (advanced version will come later), stimulates the synthesis of glycogen and promotes synthesis of muscle proteins.
  3. Eat proteins
    This is not an advice I will keep for strength lifters and body builders only. Muscles cells are built of proteins and they are broken down during training. Endurance athletes also need proteins immediately after training to recover from their effort. Just like carbohydrates, proteins stimulate secretion of insulin, which help building up the muscle again.
  4. Change clothes
    Get some dry clothes on immediately after training or competition. You can easily get a cold if you do not change clothes. And do it before you start to freeze, please. I have seen it a lot of times, when people are chatting after a race. Exactly that moment is one of the easiest moments to get ill. It is a very frequent mistake that happens again and again. Please do not do that mistake.
  5. Cool down
    Take a short ride in small gears. It helps your muscles to recover from hard intervals or races. Removal of lactate and other metabolits is enhanced when you do light exercise. Depending on your overall fitness, I will recommend you do a 5-20 minutes ride after each training session.

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Power output agreement between Polar and SRM

Power meters are very expensive and for many people it is a big decision to buy one. Polar offers one of the cheapest power measurement systems on the market, so it was interesting for me to see how it performed compared to the much more expensive SRM crank system. SRM crank system uses torque and angular velocity to measure power output, while Polar uses the vibration and speed of the chain to calculate power output.

British scientists made a study with 12 trained men who made 12 all-out efforts separated with short recovery periods. This study setup is very demanding for the power meters, since the stress on the bike is very high. The purpose of the study was to compare the agreement between these two different systems. The results were published in Journal of Sports Science, August 2006.

Polar underestimates power output

The main finding was that Polar underestimated the power output and did not agree with the power output from SRM. One of the great problems with the Polar was that it was greatly influenced by chain vibration and sampling rates.

These findings agree with the experiences I have been told about Polar. If you ride on cobble stones it is not reliable at all and it is necessary to change chain often. It is obvious that you can not get a precise system like SRM and only pay 1/10. For me Polar offers a cheap entry level for riders who would like to explore power outputs without spending all their money. I believe that you can make analyzes of races and get a good feeling of how races are. But I am not sure, that Polar is good enough for pacing in intervals. Maybe I should go try one?!

Reference:
Hurst HT, Atkins S. Agreement between polar and SRM mobile ergometer systems during laboratory-based high-intensity, intermittent cycling activity.
J Sports Sci. 2006 Aug;24(8):863-8.

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