Training Specificity: Power and Quadrant Analysis.
Since last weekend marked the first major mountain bike race of the year I thought it
would be a perfect opportunity to discuss the ideas of training specificity, power, and
quadrant analysis. Training specificity simply means to improve at a particular sport you
must train in that sport. So, if you want to become a better swimmer, then you should
swim to improve your swimming. Running will do you little good. Cycling has many
different disciplines and the neuromuscular and physiological demands across discipline
can vary greatly.
For example, the force and velocity of muscle contractions in a 40K TT and a
Cyclocross (or MTB) race are very different. I recently used quadrant analysis, a concept
developed by Andrew Coggan, to analyze two files from a clients powermeter. One is
from a cyclocross race, the other from a 20 minute TT effort. As you will see, they are
very different.
Quadrant Analysis is an algorithm that essentially plots the neuromuscular demands
(using watts and cadence as inputs) of cycling workout. The scatterplot is divided into 4
quadrants, each representing a different muscular stress. Quadrant I is high force and high
cadence. Examples of this would include sprint finishes or high speed attacks. Quadrant
II is high force and low cadence, which is typical of climbing and low speed
accelerations. Because both these quadrants require forceful muscle contractions they
place significant demands on type 2 muscles fibers. Quadrant III is low cadence and low
force, which would be typical of a recovery ride. Quadrant IV is low force, high velocity,
and is typical of small acceleration in a group, especially on flat or downhill terrain.
Here is the quadrant analysis of a 20 minute TT. The vertical dashed line is the pedal
velocity (aka cadence) the athlete would self select for a lactate threshold test (in this case
100 rpm) while the horizontal dashed line represents average watts for the effort.
Quadrant Analysis of a 20 min. TT effort. The majority of the plots are near the center of
the graph, so the effort is consistently near threshold wattage and threshold cadence.
As you can see in the example above, the majority of the plots are centered on the graph.
This means the effort was performed at neither an exceptionally high or low cadence, but
almost exclusively at the athletes lactate threshold cadence. The “neatness” of the
scatterplot implies very consistent force and cadence.
Now let s look at cyclocross race file:
Quadrant analysis of technical Cyclocross race. The majority of the plot is quadrant II.
As you can see, the plot of the 20 minute TT and the cyclocross race are very different.
The majority of the plots from the cross race are in quadrant II, which means this file has
a lot of high force but low cadence data points, like accelerations out of corners and short
power climbs.
What does this mean and how can one incorporate it into training? I encourage
the athletes I coach to perform workouts which mimic the event they compete in.
cycloross and mountain bike racers frequently perform intervals where they alternate
between high and low power. A slightly less effective, but more exciting option would be
a technical mountain bike ride or single-speed mountain bike ride. By using quadrant
analysis you can determine the demands of your event (or even a specific course) and
create a training program that isolates them.
Brig Brandt has coached multiple athletes to top 10 results at national
caliber road and cyclo-cross events. He is a USA Cycling level 2 and
Power Certified coach and was recently awarded USA Cycling’s “Coach
with Distinction” for his ongoing commitment to continuing education.
He can be reached at [email protected]