Doug3
Maximum Pace
- Jun 24, 2010
- 723
- 180
Maybe you have heard of "Spin to win" or similar phrases indicating that high cadence is the best way to ride. Is this necessarily so? There is a lot of debate on the subject of optimum cadence.
One way to define power in cycling is the product of the torque applied to the cranks at the pedal shaft and the angular velocity of the crank. The torque results from the force applied to the pedal, and the angular velocity is proportional to the cadence.
For a fixed power output, riding at lower cadence means that you need to apply more force to the pedals when compared to the higher cadence. This brings in muscular recruitment and muscle fiber types into the picture.
Type I muscle fibers are the slow-twitch or endurance muscles which are primarily aerobic, while Type II fast-twich muscle fibers are the ones for shorter bursts of power and tend to be fueled anaerobically. Both types of fibers are capable of producing similar force (per contraction), but Type II can do it quicker.
I have been studying myself on the trainer recently looking at how my heart rate changes at constant power output for different cadence levels. I am finding that my hr is generally a few beats lower at lower cadence when riding at low to moderate intensities.
Came across a recent article on the subject that also supports lower cadence as being more efficient.
http://jssm.org/vol13/n1/16/v13n1-16pdf.pdf
What are your experiences?
One way to define power in cycling is the product of the torque applied to the cranks at the pedal shaft and the angular velocity of the crank. The torque results from the force applied to the pedal, and the angular velocity is proportional to the cadence.
For a fixed power output, riding at lower cadence means that you need to apply more force to the pedals when compared to the higher cadence. This brings in muscular recruitment and muscle fiber types into the picture.
Type I muscle fibers are the slow-twitch or endurance muscles which are primarily aerobic, while Type II fast-twich muscle fibers are the ones for shorter bursts of power and tend to be fueled anaerobically. Both types of fibers are capable of producing similar force (per contraction), but Type II can do it quicker.
I have been studying myself on the trainer recently looking at how my heart rate changes at constant power output for different cadence levels. I am finding that my hr is generally a few beats lower at lower cadence when riding at low to moderate intensities.
Came across a recent article on the subject that also supports lower cadence as being more efficient.
http://jssm.org/vol13/n1/16/v13n1-16pdf.pdf
What are your experiences?