The power test measures your baseline fitness level and quantifies performance weaknesses and strengths. All riders benefit from this knowledge, but tri-athletes find this individualized testing particularly invaluable as power and physiological testing makes every precious training moment count. Training time limitations from outside pressures no longer need get in the way of peak performance. Based on the work of Dr. Andrew R. Coggan, the Power and Physiological Test provides the following information:

Power is measured over 4 intervals crucial to cycling performance:

• 5 seconds to evaluate sprint power
• 1 minute to determine Anaerobic Power/Capacity
• 5 minutes identifies VO2 max
• 20 minutes measures Lactate Power/Lactate Threshold

Testing the four major physiological systems enables the athlete to identify their strengths as well as take notice of any deficiencies in their training.  Further, knowing his/her strengths, the client can incorporate their physiological capabilities into their racing strategies. 

It isn’t necessary for the client to have a power meter for training to benefit from having a power test conducted.  The power test will reinforce the assumption(s) of the client’s fitness during the vast phases of training.  I recommend to all my clients to train with a power meter.  It makes the client’s training very precise.  However, not all of my clients can afford the expense of owning a power meter and they train by heart rate.  For the heart rate trained athlete, I highly recommend they have a minimum of three power tests each year. 

The first power test should be conducted during the base/foundation phase to identify their training zones.  The second power test should be conducted during the build phase of training to further validate training zones and determine aerobic capacity and recovery abilities.  Finally, the third power test should be conducted approximately six weeks prior to their peak event to focus on the higher zones of training for maximum benefit of the client’s specialized intervals.

I do not recommend that all athletes need to have all physiological systems tested.  For the most part, multi-sport athletes and endurance athletes would mostly benefit from the 20 minutes lactate power test.