Almost all professionals do it. Many ambitious amateur cyclists do it too. Watt measurement has become fully established in competitive sport and is also becoming more and more popular in amateur sport. Winter is an ideal time to familiarise yourself with the subject - and to discover new facets of training. Because indoor training, which is usually rather boring, can be made particularly efficient and exciting with watt measurement. Why is that? The best way to understand this is to realise what "watt measurement" actually means: the precise recording of mechanical pedalling power using measuring instruments known as watt meters or power meters. The physical power of a cyclist is measured in watts. Athletes can be clearly categorised based on their pedalling power: An average amateur athlete could power a 200-watt light, while a world-class athlete can do twice that. During training, the watt measurement is used to precisely dose the training load - much more accurately than with heart rate measurement. In addition, it is also possible to record small gains that would otherwise be difficult to determine. After all, the aim of any performance training programme is to increase the wattage.
Your first training sessions with watt measurement will leave you amazed at how hard you can pedal. Would you have thought that you could easily reach 500 or 600 watts in one go - more than a Tour de France rider can achieve on a mountain? No problem for amateur riders - as long as they only call up this power for 10 to 20 seconds. However, what is easy for 20 seconds is hardly feasible for two minutes at a stretch. Depending on the performance requirement, your body utilises different energy sources and metabolic processes. With the power meter, you learn to correctly assess the dynamics of your muscle performance. During interval training, this helps you to train in the right range right from the start and to set your training programme precisely.
Detailed information
- How to find your training area
- various training plans
- and a buying guide "Roller trainer or ergometer"
can be found in the PDF download below.
Downloads:
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