Understanding Your Power Files Sean Burke

What is Power Power = Work/Time Work = Force x Distance Power= Force x Distance /Time In the case of the bicycle force is the amount of force being put on the pedal, distance is the length of the crank arm and time is how fast the crank arm is spinning around

How is Power measured Most popular methods use metal strain gauges. SRM Power Tap Cinq Other methods Computrainer Ergomo Polar ibike

Why do we want to measure power? Determine Fitness level, strengths, weaknesses Adjust training Determine requirements of a race Create race strategies Create Nutrition Strategies The one with the most power wins! Power to weight Power to frontal area Power at the right time!

Threshold Power Threshold power is essentially the highest power output you can sustain without causing rapid fatigue. Threshold or Sustainable power is the single most important metric for success in cycling events TT & Triathlon Road Races Criterium and Track Century and Endurance Riding

Testing/Determining Power Zones Lab test VO2 and/or Lactate Expense Interpretation Definitions Field Test Is a Direct Measurement With enough data, not need to do a separate test. Extrapolation Can be quite accurate!

Field Testing Why When Determine strengths and weaknesses Determine race strategy Test progress When Beginning of season After large train block or shift in training After rest period or injury

Field Testing How Months of data taken during training and racing Hard 1 hour Race Specific field test Warmup: 20 minute time trial 95% of 20 minute time trial

Zones Based on FTP Coggan Zones % of FTP Adaptations Joe Friel Zones Active Recovery -1 <55% Calorie Expenditure CP∞ Endurance - 2 55-%-75% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers CP180 or more Tempo - 3 75% to 90% CP 90 Lactate Threshold - 4 90%-100% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers, increase VO2 max CP 60 VO2 max - 5 105%-120% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers, increase VO2 max, increase stroke /plasma volume, muscle blood flow, and ST fiber growth CP6 Anaerobic Capacity - 6 121% to 150% Increase anerobic capacity and lactate tolerance CP1-CP3 NM Power - 7 usually over 200% Increased NM Power CP 0.2

Different energy Systems ATP-CP & NM signaling out to ~ 10 seconds Anaerobic – several minutes Aerobic – longer than several minutes Zones 2-4 are primarily aerobic Zones 5 and 6 increasingly anaerobic Zone 7, ATP-PC

Increasing Threshold Power Threshold power is increased by spending time primarily in zones 2-5 in appropriate amounts along with appropriate amounts of recovery Threshold power and fuel

Zones Based on FTP Coggan Zones % of FTP Adaptations Typical Interval Length hours Joe Friel Zones Active Recovery -1 <55% Calorie Expenditure ∞ CP∞ Endurance - 2 55-%-75% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers HOURS CP180 or greater Tempo - 3 75% to 90% 6 minutes to Hours CP 90 Lactate Threshold - 4 90%-100% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers, increase VO2 max 6 minutes to 30 minutes CP 60 VO2 max - 5 105%-120% Mito Density, LT, Conversion of FT fibers, increase VO2 max, increase stroke /plasma volume, muscle blood flow, and ST fiber growth 3-6 minutes CP6 Anaerobic Capacity - 6 121% to 150% Increase anaerobic capacity and lactate tolerance 30 sec to ~3 min CP1-CP3 NM Power - 7 usually over 200% Increased NM Power < 30 seconds CP 0.2

Example Workouts Active Recovery ( zone1) Day off or EZ EZ spin of up to an hour. No hard breathing, don’t go over 200W of any extended period of time.

Example workouts Endurance ride (Zone 2) get in at least 3 hours on the road bike today. How you feel to some extent. Rolling hills. Never over 320 watts for any extended period of time.

Example workouts Tempo (Zone 3) ride 230-250W steady steady steady for as much time as you can. Throw some longish hills in there. Try to get in a solid 3hours total , and spend AT LEAST half of that time over 230 watts. No heard breathing. No time over 300 watts for any extended period of time

Examples of workouts Threshold ( Zone 4) Warm up well and then do 8 minutes at 240-260 watts. 2-4 minutes rest in between. Do up to 10 of these or until you can no longer hold 240 watts. OUCH

Example Workouts VO2 max Intervals ( zone 5) + tempo (zone 3) Warm up well and then do 4-6 X 4 minutes at 280 W. Hold back just a tiny bit on the first 2. 2-4 minutes rest in between. Finish by doing 20 minutes 200-220 - watts at comfortably high leg speed and aero position. If you are truly wasted today, then just spin home nice and EZ. The last part can be done on the way home and doesn't have to be completely uninterrupted, as long as there aren't too many stops/slow downs.

Example Workout Anaerobic Power ( zone 6) Warm up well. 3 X 3 sets of 90 seconds at 350-360+ watts range. Some flats, some hills. Roll hard into each effort but don't kill yourself at the start. This is hard. 1.5-3.5 minutes recovery in between reps. 5 or more minutes in between sets. Cool down.

Example Workout NM Power (zone 7) Warm up well, then put it in a BIG gear ( 53 X 13 or 14) and mash down as hard as you can for~10 pedal revs or until you reach 80 RPM Recover 2-3 minutes in between efforts. Alternate starting legs. Do at least 10 of these. Up to 15 if you can still stay within 20% of the power you where hitting on the first few.

Values typically examine in WKO Mean Maximal values IF or intensity factor is the workout expressed as a percentage of FTP So a workout averaging half of your FTP means you had a 0.5 IF TSS or Training Stress score IF X Times hours X 100 Ex: a workout averaging half of your FTP means you had a 0.5 IF. Doing this for 2 hours has a TSS of 100 ( 0.5 X 2) This workout has the same TSS as a workout at 100 IF for 1 hour (1.0 X 1) This is a way we can compare the total training stress of different workouts

How to Analyze Individual Workouts SS 11/16/10 CRUISE intervals to failure SS 5/15/10 TT SS 2/7/10 Race TT 11/14/2009 tt MO Race 10/9/10 TT SB 11/13/10 training ride EM 3/26 redlands EM 6/26 8 hour ride EM 7/3 blue trolley

Examining an entire year TSB ATL CTL Volume Matters RP Annual training

RP annual