Pedaling Power: How Hard Work Affects Cyclists' Performance

Professional cyclists push their bodies to the limit during intense training sessions. These sessions involve a variety of tests, including sprints, torque, and critical power (CP) assessments. The goal is to understand how different factors affect a cyclist's performance. These tests were conducted during a pre-season training camp. The cyclists had to perform maximal efforts across various gear ratios and durations, ranging from 15 seconds to 12 minutes. The environmental conditions were kept stable, with temperatures between 15-20°C. The study revealed some interesting findings. After accumulated work, the cyclists showed reduced power output, torque, and cadence compared to when they were fresh. This suggests that fatigue plays a significant role in a cyclist's performance. The maximum torque (Tmax) derived from sprint tests was strongly correlated with torque intercepts for CP, both when fresh and after accumulated work. This means that a cyclist's ability to generate torque during a sprint is a good indicator of their overall power output. The cadence relationships were also noteworthy. There was a large negative correlation between maximum cadence (Cmax) and optimum cadence (Copt) from the sprint test and the cadence recorded during CP tests after accumulated work. This indicates that as fatigue sets in, cyclists tend to pedal at a lower cadence, which can affect their overall performance. The study also found that accumulated work-induced reductions in work capacity (W') and CP values were accompanied by lower cadences across all effort durations. This highlights the importance of managing fatigue during training and competition. So, what does this all mean for cyclists? It shows that understanding the relationship between torque, cadence, and power output is crucial for assessing a cyclist's performance potential. By monitoring these factors, cyclists can better manage their training and competition strategies to optimize their performance.