Whether you’re a novice or an experienced cyclist, the jargon that comes with cycling can be, at times, overwhelming. So if you’ve heard all about watts per kilogram and have no idea what it means, rest assured, you’re not alone. But ensuring you understand your ratio is the first step to discovering the perfect training plan for you. Read on to learn how to calculate your watts/kg ratio and why it matters.
What Watts per Kilo Means and Why It Matters
First, to understand what watts per kilogram means and why it matters, you need to grasp the basics. Watts, often shortened to W, is a unit of power. You might have seen watts on the back of appliances before. A watt is a measurement of power or radiant flux (energy that is emitted, transmitted, reflected, or received).
But how does this transfer to cycling? Well, the energy transfer occurs when the cyclist pushes on the pedals. This energy is then transferred into kinetic energy (meaning energy from speed or movement). In cycling, the watts per kilogram “tool” is used to illustrate a simple power-to-weight ratio in easy-to-understand terms. Determining the watts per kilogram measurement is a good indicator of the potential power a cyclist can produce.
If you’re serious about improving your cycling abilities, understanding your wattage per kilogram ratio can help you determine your current cycling level and provide insights into how to reach the desired level.
How Watts per Kilo Is Calculated
The simplest way to calculate your watts/kilos ratio is to divide the absolute watts gained by the weight of the rider (or you, if you’re the rider). This calculation will give a good insight into how fast a cyclist can ride uphill.
It’s important to remember that while less weight and higher watts will likely mean you’re able to produce better results, inclines and terrain can also influence a cyclist’s power. So the answer isn’t always to lose weight to improve your watts/kilo ratio.
Example Calculation: Turning 280 Watts and 80kg Into 3.5W/kg
To put this into practice, imagine that you weigh 80kg and your Speediance VeloNix measures the absolute watts generated at 280 watts, 280/80 = 3.5. This means that your watts per kilogram is 3.5W/kg. With this 3.5W/kg ratio, it can be determined that you’re likely still in your amateur phase as a cyclist.
Should your weight decrease or watts increase, then this number will change. For example, if you remain at 80kg but your absolute watts increase to 320 watts, then you’ll have 4W/kg, indicating an improvement in your performance.
How Power-to-Weight Affects Performance Across Terrains
Calculating this ratio is key, but when applied to real-world scenarios, it’s essential to understand how terrains and environmental elements can alter performance. To understand this, remember there’s a difference between absolute power (the maximum power, in watts, that you generate) and W/kg. For example, when you need to cycle uphill, you’re contending with the force of gravity against you. Here, your power-to-weight ratio will be a good indicator of how you’ll handle these inclines.
You also have to factor in the difficulties that come with outdoor cycling, like wind. Overcoming aerodynamic resistance also requires hard work and will be the same for riders of differing weights, because as speed increases, so does the aerodynamic resistance. It’s this component that will favour those with high absolute power over those with a higher W/kg ratio. Watts to kilos is still crucial, but only when you need to tackle those steep climbs. This is because steep climbs affect your performance, not just by your weight, but also by your power.
What does this mean for you and the different terrains you might tackle? If you’re cycling a particularly hilly route, then your watts to kilos ratio is going to matter more than if you are on flat terrain; the watts to kilos ratio matters less because the absolute power is more critical here.
Another way to think about it is if you have two people of different weights with the same watts-to-kilo ratio, then the rider with the greater absolute power should be the faster one of the two. Depending on your favored terrain, your watts-to-kilo ratio could matter quite a lot.
Ways to Improve Watts per Kilo
To improve your watts-to-kilo ratio, you need to train effectively and fuel your workouts properly. If you’re a relative beginner, it’s essential to focus on increasing your aerobic fitness level rather than prioritizing weight loss. For fitter and more experienced riders, it’s likely that focusing on losing weight won’t help you necessarily and could be dangerous, particularly in young athletes. It’s better to focus on specific training plans to help you improve your overall power output.
For example, interval training varying in intensity and duration, alongside activities such as hill repeats or threshold rides. Likewise, weight training is also essential for increasing muscle mass and performance. This type of training is necessary if you wish to participate in hyrox activities, for example. However, rest and recovery are essential to your training plan, whether you are a beginner or a professional, as prolonged stress of any kind is detrimental to both the body and mind.
Measuring Watts/kg Accurately
To accurately measure your watts/kg ratio, ensure that you can effectively record your watt output. Many smart bikes will record this for you. It will estimate your FTP (functional threshold power), meaning your maximum sustainable power output, for approximately an hour. Once you have this number, you can calculate your watts/kg using body scales to weigh yourself in kg.
If you’re monitoring your watts/kg ratio, it’s essential to keep track of your weight, as it can fluctuate for various reasons. Sometimes, you can gain weight overnight simply due to water retention, so it’s essential to keep track and determine your average over time to understand your progress and body composition better.
Body Composition, Strength, and Power Efficiency
So, how does body composition, strength, and power efficiency play a role in your watts/kilo ratio? And what’s the significance? Take body composition, for example. If your body has more lean muscle mass and less fat mass, then you’re likely to have a more efficient performance.
Inclines in particular are essential in the watts-to-kilo ratio because you have to fight gravity as you cycle uphill. As a result, those with a high watt-to-kilo ratio are more likely to get up the hill quicker. When it comes to improving body composition to improve your watt/kg ratio, it’s essential to have a sensible training regime, as it’s not easy to shift body fat.
When it comes to building muscle strength and mass, resistance training with weights is an effective way to increase muscle strength and mass, which in turn can enable you to produce more watts of energy when cycling, thereby improving your watts-to-kilo score. Likewise, those with a higher watts-to-kilo score will likely have more power efficiency as they are producing more power than those weighing more than themselves.
Aerodynamics, Drafting, and Environmental Factors
It’s important to remember that the watts-to-kilo ratio that you get on an indoor training bike won’t be 100% indicative of your experience when cycling outside. Indoors, the environment is a controlled environment without aerodynamics, drafting, or other environmental factors coming into play. When a cyclist is riding outside, wind resistance works against them, a phenomenon known as aerodynamic drag. As a result, the higher the resistance, the more energy the cyclist has to expend. To minimize aerodynamic drag, cyclists can adopt different positions and wear specialized helmets.
Drafting, also known as slipstreaming, is a technique where a cyclist positions themselves behind another cyclist or a moving object to reduce their drag. This is a crucial tactical move in races to minimize drag and, consequently, reduce drag expenditure. Even on steep inclines, this can be a beneficial energy-saving technique.
Likewise, environmental conditions also play a key role. For example, the higher the air density, the more substantial the drag. Wind direction and speed can also influence the difficulty of drag. Sometimes, depending on the direction of the wind, this can be beneficial to a cyclist, offering a pushing force behind them, rather than against them. The terrain can also affect how much energy a cyclist needs to expend.
Training Plans to Increase Power-to-Weight Ratio
Using ERG mode for interval training can be a helpful tool to increase your watts-to-kilo ratio, as it provides endurance training that enhances your ability to produce power over time. As the number of watts produced is vital for calculating the watts-to-kilo ratio, it’s essential to remember that producing power in your training regimen is critical for improvement.
Resistance training is a great way to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, which can help you to make more power. Of course, a gain in muscle mass could mean an increase in overall kilograms, which will result in a change in your watts/kg ratio. However, it’s better to gain muscle mass over fat mass because having more muscle comes with greater power. So while your weight might increase, your muscles will become stronger.
While you’re training, regardless of the type of training you undertake, adhere to a healthy diet. While this means monitoring your eating and caloric intake, you shouldn’t cut your calories too drastically, as this could become unhealthy and even dangerous.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Watts per Kilo Is Good?
Ultimately, the watts per kilogram is a ratio. So, there is no one correct answer. For example, there is no perfect number of watts per 70kg. However, once you’ve done the calculation, the higher your score, the better or more efficient your cycling will be.
Is 200 Watts Good for Cycling?
Sustaining 200 watts for one hour is a solid performance for a beginner and reflects a good level of fitness. Professional cyclists, by comparison, can maintain this or higher for several hours. So, while 200 watts for one hour is impressive for many riders, it isn’t considered elite.
Does Watts per Kg Matter on Flat Roads?
Watts per kilogram matter on flat roads because they give a good indication of your fitness level and how you might manage on different terrains or routes. However, absolute power is often more critical than the watts/kg ratio. This matters more on inclines, as gravity has a greater effect.
Turning Watts per Kilo Into Measurable Progress
Knowing and understanding your watts per kilogram ratio is essential for trying to progress in your fitness and cycling. However, unless you act on what your ratio tells you, you’ll stall in your overall progress. That’s why it’s essential to adopt a training plan that helps you achieve your goals while maintaining your health. That’s where Speediance can help you! Discover Speediance’s range of products today, including the Speediance VeloNix, the ultimate indoor smart bike that tracks your performance and enables you to become better with every workout.
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