Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
I've been thinking about this for a while. Actually, I've been thinking about this for years, but with few unassailable conclusions. So just thinking out loud . . .
Let's say that we have two limitations: VO2max and repeatable leg strength or RLS. I can't think of a way to quantify this RLS variable. We know that for a given submaximal power output, our HR will run higher at a higher cadence, meaning that the higher the cadence, the closer to our VO2max we will be.
There's a power-dependent cadence producing minimum muscle activation which increases with power. This seems to impact fatigue and time to exhaustion.
On long endurance rides, I notice that if I get bogged down, meaning that in my lowest gear I can't spin my favored cadence, my HR will drop and my power along with it.
Right.
From
Cadence, power, and muscle activation in cycle ergometry
TABLE 4. Mean optimal (lowest EMG RMS) cadence.
[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]100 W[/TD]
[TD]200 W[/TD]
[TD]300 W[/TD]
[TD]400 W[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]57[/TD]
[TD]70.2[/TD]
[TD]86.2[/TD]
[TD]99.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
In conclusion, we have presented evidence that muscle activation at a given power output is minimized at a unique cadence and that unique cadence is higher at higher power output.
Future studies should consider similar evaluation of two groups of subjects with substantially different fiber type composition to determine how fiber type composition affects the relationship between power output and cadence with minimal activation.
Reduced inertial load as from climbing or a trainer may preclude getting there due to the muscles getting you through the dead spots at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Hence the example in _Training and Racing with a Power Meter_ of the racer who got dropped every time he spent more than five minutes at his FTP but cadence below 70.