The power meter is the preferred training device for most professional cyclists
While other devices such as a heart rate monitor and cyclometer can effectively be used for training, this article will focus on the usage of power meters to accurately track performance.
Why train with Power?
The advantages of a power meter are:
- It allows you to accurately and quantitatively measure your training
- It define areas of strength and weakness so you can fine tune your training plan to meet your specific goals
- And, it provides a common language with which to communicate with your coach
A power meter allows your coach to see exactly what you are doing during your workouts as if they were there. It gives insight into how hard your workout was as well as seeing if you completed the workout accurately, and how your body responded to the intensity.
The following benefits to using a power meter come from Charles Howe in the article titled Empower your Training:
- A power meter eliminates the guesswork from gauging exercise intensity
- Allows performance to be precisely quantified and the training log to be more realistically and effectively managed
- Allows for the utilization of data such as pacing during interval training and time trials, as well as aerodynamic testing.
Using heart rate and the Perceived Rate of Exertion scale in conjunction with the use of a power meter provides additional, useful data in examining the body’s response to training.
