Coaching Cyclists: Understanding Cadence and Performance
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by Justin Trolle, USA Triathlon Education Manager
Coaches frequently discuss cycling power and cadence with their athletes, but these terms are sometimes misunderstood. Power is relatively straightforward to measure as it remains independent of external variables like heat, wind, and heart rate. This consistency makes power a reliable metric for tracking performance improvements and comparing athletes on even terms.
However, how athletes generate power—specifically through cadence—is equally important. Two cyclists can travel at the same speed while maintaining completely different cadences. This variability has sparked considerable debate in the coaching community: is a lower or higher cadence better, and how does cadence impact cycling performance and an athlete's ability to run effectively after the bike leg?
Educating Athletes on the Cadence Spectrum
The traditional belief was that lower cadence is more efficient, as it often corresponds with lower heart rates for the same power output. This notion partly explains why medical tests for older adults maintain cadences between 50-60 rpm. However, heart rate is just one piece of the performance puzzle.
Cadence can be viewed as a sliding scale:
Low Cadence – High Strength Demand, Lower Cardiovascular Load
- More efficient for new cyclists as it allows for sustained power through a broader range of motion.
- Requires greater muscular strength to sustain.
High Cadence – Lower Strength Demand, Higher Cardiovascular Load
- Initially less efficient but improves over time as biomechanics and neuromuscular coordination develop.
- Requires less muscular strength but increases cardiovascular demand.
- Enables lighter athletes to compete with stronger athletes in terms of power output.
Key Coaching Considerations for Cadence
A coach's role is to help athletes find their optimal cadence based on how they naturally produce power on the bike. While general guidelines exist, individual differences always apply. Here are some key considerations when coaching cyclists:
- Managing Muscular Fatigue for the Run: Lower cadence rates increase muscular fatigue, which can impair an athlete's run performance. The muscles used on the bike are also used during the run, and once fatigued, recovery becomes challenging. Coaches should help athletes balance cadence to avoid excessive fatigue.
- Muscle Mass and Endurance Performance: Pushing bigger gears requires greater strength, which often means increased muscle mass. More muscle mass adds both weight and generates more heat, both of which can negatively impact endurance performance as the body works to maintain homeostasis.
Coaching Cadence for Race-Day Performance
For most athletes, an effective cadence range depends on the race format:
- Non-Draft Races: 90-95 rpm
- Draft-Legal Events: 95-110 rpm
Although these ranges may not feel natural initially, athletes can improve their efficiency within these cadences over time. A practical benchmark is to aim for a 5 rpm increase every six months. For example, an athlete who feels most efficient at 80 rpm could reach 90 rpm within one year. This shift allows athletes to maintain or increase power output with less muscle mass, reducing muscular fatigue and improving run performance.
Implementing Cadence Adjustments in Training
A simple strategy to increase cadence is to incorporate higher cadences during non-essential sessions or recovery periods in key workouts. For example, if a training plan includes 5 x 10-minute intervals at race pace with 5-minute recovery spins, have the athlete maintain their usual cadence during the main efforts but increase it to 100 rpm during the recovery phases.
While sudden changes aren't advisable, gradual adjustments can lead to significant long-term benefits. If an athlete currently produces the most power at 70 rpm, they don't need to overhaul their cadence immediately. Instead, coaches should guide them to incrementally work toward higher cadences to become more efficient and powerful over time.
Conclusion
Optimizing cycling cadence is a gradual process, but the benefits extend beyond the bike. By strategically increasing cadence, athletes can reduce muscular fatigue, improve run performance, and enhance overall race efficiency. Coaches should encourage small, progressive changes, helping their athletes develop into stronger, more efficient triathletes over time.
