21. LOW CADENCE TRAINING: IS IT REALLY EFFECTIVE?

Photo by David Dvořáček on Unsplash

Low cadence training is one of the most widespread cycling training methods. The pioneer of this method is Aldo Sassi, the italian coach who prescribed it to Francesco Moser during the preparation to the successful 1984 hour-world record. After that successful performance, many other cyclists used and are using this method. In the last years, more and more people call it ‘torque training’. Whatever the name, the principle remains the same: lower pedalling cadence to produce more force at each pedal stroke.

But is low cadence training really effective?

Does low cadence/torque training improve performance more than the same training performed at free cadence?

A study by Kristoffersen and Colleagues from Bergen University College (Norway) published on Frontiers in Physiology in 2014 tried to answer this question. (1)