1. Coaching with Power

2. Overview and learning outcomes By the end of this module you have an understanding of: Power The advantages of using power for training and racing Power devices Physiology and power Training with power Interpreting training and racing data Power analysis software Limitations of power based training and race Where to find other resources for further learning

3. What is power? Power is the rate of doing work, or rate that energy is converted into mechanical action In cycling that action is propelling the bicycle forwards It is the force applied to the pedals, measured in watts It is the actual workload versus response to the workload. I.e. Heart rate is a response to the workload

4. Advantages of using power? What do you think are the advantages of using power for training and racing? –The wattage a rider can produce is not affected by internal or external factors. Examples – wind, hydration status, adrenalin (pre-race nerves) –Direct comparisons –Constant measurement –Pacing –Increased quality of training –Race replication –Equipment and position testing –Nutrition –Feedback –Weaknesses

5. Power devices Primary method for measuring power is deformation of strain gauges to measure torque (rotational force) Power devices on the market: –SRM –Quarq –Ergomo –Power Tap –Metri gear –Polar –iBike, or iAero

6. SRM The oldest power device on the market Strain gauges in the spider arms of the crank Amateur, professional and scientific versions: –Increased number of strain gauges to increases validity (4-8) –2.5% - 0.5% accuracy Wireless versions compatible with Garmin head units –ANT+ Compatible MTB, Road, Track, BMX versions available Reliable and durable, but the most expensive www.srm.de

7. SRM

8. Power Tap Strain gauges in the rear hub Racing versus training wheels –MTB, Track, Road versions Durability ANT+ compatable Wireless version available Wheelsets or hubs available More affordable Power agent software www.cycleops.com

9. Quarq Strain gauges attach to crank spider arm – easy to install and change the battery Specific crank sets only –Specialised –SRAM –Rotor –FSA New SRAM MTB version launched at Euro-bike 2011 Report accuracy of +/- 1.5% ANT+ compatible Reviews report very reliable and valid data www.quarq.com

10. Garmin Vector & Look/Polar Keo Still to be commercially available: –Garmin purchased technology from Metrigear in 2010 Only available with specific pedals –Garmin – ‘Vector’ –Look/Polar – Keo Benefit of measuring force very close to the pedal, in the pedal spindle Independent ‘leg’ profiling ‘Easy’ install for bike changing Review’s not currently available

11. Ergomo In the bottom bracket Strain through the bottom bracket – light refraction method, meaning accurate set up is essential Not very reliable or valid

12. iAero and Polar Polar – calculates power by complex equations that measure chain tension, and chain speed iAero (formerly iBike) calculates power based on wind resistance, now mainly used as aerodynamic tool Both extremely invalid and unreliable but still in the market place

13. Physiology and power Exercise physiology is how the body functions during exercise. With power we can see how the body responds to training, and racing. A number of responses can be evidenced, and a riders physiological attributes be determined –Training induced changes –Cardiac drift –Power profiling

14. Activity What does the following training data show? What could have happened physiologically to induce this? Power output (w)Heart rate (bpm) April 2008 Heart rate (bpm) June 2008 250152143 275159150

15. Power versus heart rate

16. Cardiac drift

17. Heart rate trending upwards over the ride (red)

18. Power Output (Watt) Heart Rate (Bpm) Typical Time Trial

19. Demands of Time Trial Cadence Power Heart rate

20. Demands of Time Trial Duration: 55min Max Power: 665 watts Average power: 403 watts –394W –397W –402W –390W –398W Average heart rate: 181bpm –181bpm –178bpm –179bpm –183bpm Calories: 1342kj

21. Power Profiling What is Power Profiling –Development of a rider ‘profile’ displaying their delivery of power at a variety of different times Why use it? –Can identify a riders strengths and weakness –Assists with the identification of athlete potential –Can identify riders development and their response to training –Allows you to creates performance benchmarks Where does the data come from –Training –Testing –Racing CMC TRAINING SESSION21

22. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 Watts 0:011286 0:101171 0:40832 1:00704 4:00445 10:00382 20:00355 60:00295 CMC TRAINING SESSION22 ‘Test’ durations Why these time durations? Variety of physiological markers of performance and relate very well to ‘race’ performance Possible use of 5sec, 5min, etc as alternative measures Where do the values come from? Maximum power maintained over specific durations Computer analysis of data

23. Power Profiling CMC TRAINING SESSION 23 Time 0:01 0:10 0:40 1:00 4:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 120:00+ ATP – PCr Neuromuscular Power Peak force Speed / Cadence Anaerobic Glycolytic Muscle power Anaerobic capacity Aerobic Endurance Anaerobic Threshold Short term muscular endurance Lactate threshold Aerobic Endurance Anaerobic threshold Lactate threshold VO²max

24. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 Watts 0:011286 0:101171 0:40832 1:00704 4:00445 10:00382 20:00355 60:00295 CMC TRAINING SESSION24

25. Power Profiling CMC TRAINING SESSION25 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time ATP – PCr Anaerobic Glycolytic Aerobic Endurance

26. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 Professional Watts 0:011286120412991639 0:10117110308681400 0:40832723673871 1:00704656623742 4:00445457438514 10:00382410345438 20:00355393335366 60:00295357305273 CMC TRAINING SESSION26

27. Power Profiling CMC TRAINING SESSION27 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time

28. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 W/Kg 0:0119.19 0:1017.47 0:4012.41 1:0010.50 4:006.64 10:005.70 20:005.29 60:004.40 CMC TRAINING SESSION28 Watts per body weight? Absolute power is interesting from a ‘show’ perspective – i.e. ‘How much power someone can produce’ How relevant is power to performance without consideration of body weight? Very few races have no elevation gain Even with no elevation, weight still must be moved Power-to-weight ratio Consideration of weight (Kgs) is critical in performance

29. Power Profiling CMC TRAINING SESSION29 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time

30. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 Professional W/Kg 0:0119.1918.5217.7920.48 0:1017.4715.6011.8917.5 0:4012.4110.949.2110.88 1:0010.509.938.539.27 4:006.646.926.006.42 10:005.706.214.725.47 20:005.295.954.584.57 60:004.405.404.173.41 CMC TRAINING SESSION30

31. Power Profiling CMC TRAINING SESSION31 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time

32. Power Profiling Time Rider ARider BRider CRider D U23 Professional WattsW/KgWattsW/KgWattsW/KgWattsW/Kg 0:01128619.19120418.52129917.79163920.48 0:10117117.47103015.6086811.89140017.5 0:4083212.4172310.946739.2187110.88 1:0070410.506569.936238.537429.27 4:004456.644576.924386.005146.42 10:003825.704106.213454.724385.47 20:003555.293935.953354.583664.57 60:002954.403575.403054.172733.41 CMC TRAINING SESSION32

33. Power profiling Power profile

34. Typical time trialist profile Upward sloping profile

35. Activity If a male rider has the following power profile, what type of rider do you think they are: –Sprinter –Time trial rider –All round road rider –What category of rider are they? Timew.kg 5 s power19 1 min power9 5min power4 20min power3.2

36. Power profile

37. Training with power Steps: 1.Test to determine training zones and power profile, and how the riders power compares to the event and level of competition they are training for 2.Determine what the rider needs to work on, and how they are going to achieve this in conjunction with (3) below 3.Train specifically for the event, and course demands 4.Set about a programme that achieves the desired changes in fitness

38. Zone testing Zone determination Laboratory testing Average power over a specific time period: –SRM 4-minute power –British cycling 1-minute power –Critical Power (Joe Friel), 5 seconds up to any time period –Functional Threshold or FTP (Andy Coggan), 20 minutes Every race or training ride is a test Limitations of each method

39. SRM Zones Zone% 4-min powerPurposeChanges 10 – 26Recovery  Blood flow 226 – 53Base endurance  Fat metabolism 353 – 80Improve efficiency  Oxygen use, efficiency 480 – 90Push threshold up  CHO metabolism 590- max sprint power Top end training  Anaerobic pathways Overlapping low cadence zone 66 – 98 at 30- 50rpm Strength endurance  Max power

40. British Cycling’s Zones Zone% 1-min power PurposeChanges Recovery0 – 36Recovery  Blood flow 137 – 45Base endurance  Fat metabolism 246 - 54Improve efficiency  Oxygen use, efficiency 355 - 63Improve sustainable power  CHO metabolism 464 - 71Push threshold up  Lactate threshold 572 – 80To sustain high % of max power  VO2max, anaerobic pathways 681 – 100Increase max power  Max power, threshold, VO2max Supra- maximal 101 – max sprint power Increased sprint power  Max power, neural pedalling

41. Andy Coggan’s Zones Zone% 20-minute power minus 5% PurposeChanges Recovery< 55Recovery  Blood flow 156 - 75Endurance  Fat metabolism 276 – 90Tempo  Oxygen use, efficiency 391 – 105Threshold  CHO metabolism 4106 - 120Aerobic power  VO2max 5121 +Anaerobic capacity  Anaerobic pathways Max-Neuromuscular power  Max power

42. Interpretation of training and racing data Training Did they achieve the desired training session result? How were the intervals completed? Was the heart rate response correct? Are they training hard enough? Is the overload enough week to week?

43. Interval interpretation Training Session: 30sec Zone 5 / 1min30sec recovery, high cadence, race gears. Peak heart rate gradually increases (red) Recovery heart rate in between intervals gradually increases (as fatigue builds) Peak power for each interval increases until fatigue (6 th interval), then declines If heart rate and power had not peaked out, the rider would not have been trying hard enough to achieve the desired result of this interval set

44. Rider Progression 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time

45. Rider Progression: Anaerobic 0 0:01 0:10 0:40 01:00 Time

46. Rider Progression: Aerobic 04:00 10:00 20:00 60:00 Time

47. Seasonal data

48. Racing – Women’s World Cup Race 62kg, female rider, threshold 310W (5 w.kg) Result: finished in the top 25, in the sprint finish

49. … continued Power is constantly fluctuating Time in zones below – U-shaped Accelerations With this information, training can be made more specific

50. TDF – Alpe de Heuz ITT 2004

51. Activity - Individual time trial What one piece of feedback would you give this rider? Red = heart rate, yellow = power, green = rpm Note the turn around point, where power and cadence drop Heart rate gradually climbs

52. Last quarter Three-quarter point, note the final, sudden push to the finish indicating the rider suddenly realised the finish was not far away Ideally power should remain the same, or gradually increase Rider finished without completely exhausting themselves Rider feedback: pacing strategy to maximise power throughout the entire time trial

53. Data Comparison Group selection: 13sec’ at 640watts Average Powers 388 (5.79w/kg) / 432 (6.54w/kg) Final Sprint: 16sec at 914watts Final Result: 2 nd 14 th

54. Power training software SRM –Basic analysis –Free download off SRM website –Easy to use –Now PC & MAC software available

55. Power analysis software WKO+ trainingpeaks: online and off line versions –Individual file and seasonal analysis –Cost $129 USD for basic

56. Power analysis software PowerCoach –Independent analysis software –Provides the most advanced possibilities for analysing data –No manual / limited ‘ease’ of use

57. Power analysis software Power agent –Comes with a power tap –In between SRM and WKO in complexity and function Golden Cheetah –Newest analysis software –Free download –Positive feedback from users of existing software –Mac compatible

58. Limitations of training and racing with power Expense, and complication of equipment changes Obsession with numbers Too cautious - power shows you what you have done, and are doing, but not what you can do Time consuming analysis and there is a need to understand it, otherwise it becomes a very expensive cycling computer!

59. Links and resources www.srm.de www.cycleops.com www.quarq.com www.trainingpeaks.com Google wattage forum Training and racing with a Power Meter, By Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan