Training by power: characteristics

Power training is considered to be the best training measurement and control tool to date.

 

 

It is for all the cyclists and triathletes known for many years now (and used mainly in the last 3-4) the POWER TRAINING but perhaps there is still a general ignorance even among coaches about this tool that allows us to measure with greater precision and that stands out above others in the control of training.

In this first article I will try to offer an overview of what power is and what applications it gives us that do not have other systems to shed in successive articles why it is a good tool for daily use for athletes and coaches.

WHAT IS THE POWER?

If we go to the RAE, we find Power as "Amount of energy produced or consumed per unit of time" with which we can deduce that the data that our cyclocomputer indicates to us as power is the "energy that our muscles are applying on the bicycle in a unit of time".

Once the power is defined, we must realize that power is a measure of external load of work, that is, what we measure is the force applied to the bicycle (either pedals, rods or hub) while heart rate, lactate, gas or oxygen saturation for example tell us what happens inside our body .

This does not mean that it is a better tool, we simply have to know what we are measuring and how to apply it in the control of training, planning and improving the performance of the athlete.

Arrived at this first part we must be clear that the power we are producing is nothing more than a simple fact and that the truly important thing is FOR HOW LONG WE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN POWER.

Let's give an example that is easier for all of us, when a cyclist says: "I am able to move 450W".

This is a lot? Is it little? Would I be able to do it?

Well, the answer is IT DEPENDS since if we are able to move it in an 19 Tour 30 stage climb during '30' we will be talking about a superclass (almost regardless of the weight we have) but we have achieved it in a specific moment of a XNUMX start '' It is something really feasible for everyone.

I hope that we are able to put into context, now yes, what is the power, what it measures, what it is useful for and the importance of this data in relation to time.

We only need to indicate that the power is a REAL AND OBJECTIVE data that does NOT offer us a margin for the excuse and that will tell us the reality of what has been done. How many times have we not heard: "The average has fallen because it was winding against", "I have been pulling the group all the way", "I have been passing relays during 40kms", "The training of my life has come out because I have come almost with 40kmh of average "

Now we have the necessary tool to measure it !!

WHAT APPLICATIONS DO THE POTENTIOMETERS HAVE WHICH DIFFERENTIATE THEM FROM OTHER TOOLS?

The power meters allow us to perform the following tasks that could not be carried out by means of other tools and that is why they are considered as the best measurement and control tool of the training to date.

We are going to list a few of them that we will later describe in several articles:

• Control and quantify short-term efforts ranging from a few seconds to 5 '.

• Measuring the PERFORMANCE, we could only control the performance on the bike by measuring the force we exert on the pedals since both Heart Rate and Speed ​​suffer fluctuations and depend on other factors such as weather, wind, altitude, hydration status ....

• Compare with different people and / or in different scenarios in bases to the real data of both.

• Compare our own evolution over time in the same place, in the same test or in a programmed test.

• Instant feedback of what is happening in our body, this also happens with the speed but it depends on the weather conditions, orography, asphalt state, etc. and it DOES NOT happen with the heart rate since it has a delay until its "stabilization".

• Control of training in each training or, better said, in each training period that should have an objective that we must measure, control and rethink to continue advancing, this control will be carried daily with the power meter.

• We will improve the feedback with our coach who will be able to prescribe a more concrete training with our real data that you will be able to see daily and / or weekly on a common platform.

• REAL analysis of competitions, trainings or moments in which things go or do not go well.

• Measure our efforts in competitions, know what is or is not our group in Sprint competitions and group outings or be able to carry out a good strategy in Long Distance and tests without drafting to run with guarantees at our best rates.

• Establish a physiological profile of your own on which to analyze our strengths and weaknesses on which to draw up a plan to improve them.

• Observe and measure the progressive physical improvement over a period of Tapering before a competition or a fall in performance after an injury, stoppage or period of less training (or poorly structured).

• Quantify the aerodynamic improvement in stable conditions (velodrome mainly).

FOR WHOM IS THE POWER METER?

Undoubtedly for any person who is responsible and meticulous when it comes to follow a training, who is committed to their performance, who wants to maintain a good feedback coach / athlete graphically on a daily basis and that, why not say it , can afford an expense that goes from the 600-2000 €.

The potentiometer and the real data of our cyclocomputer do not lie so we must have the ability to analyze them, create a plan to improve them, be disciplined to train them and provide the necessary feedback to re-interpret them.

J. Luis Caballero

Triathlon Coach - FTCV

Email: [email protected]