Differing cycle cadence and how it affects your run in triathlon

Differing cycle cadence and how it affects your run

Created On: 26 March 2010

All aspects of triathlon, cycling and running performance are analysed for the benefits of elite competitors, but whether you are an elite athlete or simply competing for the personal challenge, we can all learn a little from reading triathlon specific research.

Research has shown that the metabolic cost of running increases as exercise continues. In simple terms, the amount of energy it takes and the amount of oxygen you consume are higher for the last mile than they were in the first because you are more tired at the end, this occurs even if you run the same speed for each mile.

Research has also shown that this effect is much great in a triathlon event where competitors start the run in a fatigued state, compared against a running event only where competitors start in a fresh state. The final key finding is that elite athletes suffer less than age group athletes and are affected less by the above, it's likely that age groupers will therefore feel the effects of fatigue in the latter part of the run more than elite competitors.

In studies which focused on the effects of drafting during the cycle section on subsequent running performance, there were no surprises to find that running performance improved by approximately 4% compared to non-drafting. Considerably less work had to be done on the bike when drafting and this influenced the subsequent run performance. The key thing to take from this is that the intensity you choose during the cycle stage has a direct effect upon running performance.

The effect of differing cycle cadence:

One of the most interesting aspects of the review concerned the chosen pedal cadence and how this affected subsequent running performance. It is well documented that lower cadences lead to lower oxygen usage and studies have shown that pedaling at lower cadences in the final stages of a triathlon cycle section can improve subsequent running performances. Vercruyssen et al (2002) showed that running performance was significantly improved by adopting a slower cadence for the final 10 minutes of the cycle leg (74 RPM) compared to a self chosen cadence of 94 RPM and a high cadence of 109 RPM. In addition, Bernard et al (2003) showed that subsequent 3000m running time improved as cycling cadence was reduced from 100 RPM down to 80 RPM and then reduced further to 60 RPM for the cycle section prior to running.

Things to try:

It is generally recommended that cycling at 90rpm throughout the cycle stage of a triathlon is the optimal cadence and much of this is based upon anecdotal evidence and the simple link between 90 revolutions per minute and 180 foot strikes per minute which is the widely recommended running cadence. From this review it is likely that trialing a number of different cadences for at least the final 10 minutes of the cycle section may well be a worthwhile activity.

The simplest way to implement this is to do a turbo brick session completing 4X5 minutes on the bike with 3 minute running following each 5 minute cycling interval. Select high cadence for intervals1&3 and low cadence for intervals 2&4 and see which allows you to run faster and smoother. You must ensure that the power output or cycling speed is the same for each of the 5 minute cycling intervals.

This article has been adapted from Bentley (2008) Maximising performance in triathlon: Applied physiological and nutritional aspects of elite and non-elite competitions. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 11, 407-416.

Full article kindly provided by The Endurance Coach: a provider of sports science and coaching support for endurance athletes of all ability level. Contact: www.theendurancecoach.com Email: admin@theendurancecoach.com Tel: 01744 732607

Tags: ride,training

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