Why Cyclists Train with Power?

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The power developed during pro cycle races cannot be assessed overall but rather depends on characteristics such as the profile, the overall speed of the race, and so on. In a study on power in cycle races, Vogt et al. (2006) reported how in flat races, cyclists developed a surprisingly steady average of 220 watts and a heart rate of 141 beats per minute. By contrast, in an uphill time trial, the cyclists developed an average of 392 watts and a heart rate of 169 beats per minute.

At the same time, power output is influenced by external factors such as the pedaling cadence, the weather and the terrain. In terms of cadence, there is much debate about its effect on fatigue and the influence of that fatigue on the power developed during exercise. High pedaling cadences (90-105 rpm) appear to induce less stress and muscle fatigue, reducing the depletion of muscle glycogen and optimizing the pedaling force. However, among cyclists there are as many different choices of high and low frequency pedaling as there are cyclists…

The ability to generate power is directly proportional to your athletic level. In the table below you can see how the athletic level exponentially increases the ability to generate power per unit of body weight.

The table shows the watts per kg of body weight at various levels of cycling competition, and according to Lucia et al. (2004), only the maximum power output variable correlates with the best performance in a 50-km time trial of professional cyclists, and not as you may assume anything to do with the maximum consumption of oxygen or the anaerobic threshold.

The training methods recommended for neuromuscular and metabolic improvement include training on rollers with a single leg controlling your power output. This type of training stimulates metabolic and oxidative improvements because single-leg activities direct more nutrients, oxygen, enzymes, hormones, etc. to the working leg than when exercising with both legs. The assessment of the power developed with one leg should be useful for controlling the intensity.

The factors that induce fatigue and any reduction in your performance are associated with lower neuromuscular activity in your tired muscles. This fatigue may be due to numerous factors but is primarily related to substrate depletion (adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glycogen and creatine phosphate) and the accumulation of metabolites (waste products produced as a result of muscular contraction) in your muscles. It has been reported that, during pro racing, fatigue reduces muscle activation by up to 20% of the muscle total, which prevents a cyclist from continuing with the imposed pace and their getting ‘dropped’. It is thought that the neural system controls this lower muscle activation as a protection against fatigue and the lack of brain oxygenation, reducing the proportion of oxygen directed to the muscles to ‘protect’ the brain.

In a recent study, Pinot et al. (2011) studied the power output profile of different types of cyclists over an entire season in both training and competition. The sprinters had the highest record of power in zone 5 (anaerobic capacity and power); the climbers had the highest record in zones 2-3 (aerobic capacity and power); and the flat specialists showed a greater output in zone 1 (aerobic lipolysis or breakdown of fat). These results suggest that the power profile of each cyclist represents almost a ‘signature’ of that cyclist’s ability and could help measure the intensities of different types of training.

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