Cycling Efficiency and VO2 Max
Seems to be a bit of a no brainer: better technique in an event, be it running or swimming or cycling, is going to improve your performance. Well, check out these reports for a bit of a surprise.
The concept is an easy one:
Two cyclists enter a hill climb or time trial. Both have the same VO2 max, but Cyclist A is more economical. They both ride at the same high speed. However, to reach and maintain this speed, Cyclist B must ride at a pace equal to 95% of his max VO2. Cyclist A, on the other hand, can ride the same speed, yet only be at 90% of his max. Should he pick up effort to 95%, he would out ride Athlete B and win.
Interestingly though, a study done in Madrid on elite cyclists found that there was a very strong inverse relationship between VO2max and cycling efficiency in this group
(see Pedalling Efficiency: You Vs. Olano).
The riders with the relatively low aerobic capacity were able to compensate for this handicap by being much more efficient, resulting in their requiring less energy to generate a particular power output.
So what does this have to do with the title of the article? Well, to quote again from the PezCyclingnews article:
First, don’t get too hung up on your “genetic" potential or comparing your test results to anybody else. Smart and dedicated training can help you to exceed your perceived limits. Second, the smoother and more efficient you can train your pedaling stroke, the less energy you require to maintain any power output or speed, and who wouldn’t benefit from that?
The right way
I can honestly say that I spent, up until the time I was rehabbing my injury, zero time working on drills for technique. I tried to pedal circles, sure… who was I kidding? Thing is, I was so new to cycling - about 3-4 years in - that I was still seeing remarkable gains by simply increasing my volume. As a result, I spent very little time on technique.
I wonder how many more of us fall into this trap? Anyways, my mind is made up. Drills on the trainer from now on, and some Power Cranks for next winter (fingers crossed).
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