Indoor cycling has grown exponentially after COVID-19 pandemic. There are more and more people using turbo trainers for training sessions, virtual races and physiological tests. Zwift, the most popular indoor training platform, even introduced a talent identification program where cyclists all around the world virtually challenge each other to sign a professional contract with Alpecin Deceunink (the male winner) and Canyon SRAM (the female winner).
Given the widespread use of indoor training for different goals, the following question is important:
Can indoor and outdoor power output be used interchangeably?
A study published by Lispki and Colleagues (Maastricht University, Netherland) on International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance in 2022 can help to answer this question. (1)
WHAT DID THEY DO?
They recruited 13 professional male road cyclist (World Tour and Continental).
In different test sessions (A, B, C, D), carried out within a 14-day period, they performed maximal efforts (time trials) to calculate the maximal mean power output for the following durations and conditions:
Day A: 1 and 5 min outdoor
Day B: 1 and 5 min indoor
Day C: 3 and 14 min outdoor
Day D: 3 and 14 min indoor
Tests setting was:
Outdoor: on a road with a slight slope: 2-3%
Indoor: Tacx NEO turbo trainer
To not influence the outcome of the study, the order of the days (A, B, C, D) was randomized and before each session an easy and short ride was performed.
For each duration (1, 3, 5, 14min) power outdoor vs indoor was compared using always the power meter mounted on the bike: Rotor (INpower)
WHAT DID THEY FOUND?
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