I am a novice racer who recently did the Conconi test on the computrainer (maintain cadence, increase wattage, find point where breathing changes) to determine my threshold. I felt like my legs gave out (unable to maintain cadence) before I hit my threshold and that seemed to be at a low wattage (230).
I know one shouldn’t compare one’s results to others (especially at the beginning of a training program), but this seemed like a really low wattage to wimp out at to me. Anyone else experience this? I always thought I was strong cause I beat all the middle aged guys up the hill (I’m middle aged too). Should I give up the idea of ever racing?
I just started using a computrainer so I’m sure my efficiency will improve.
Maintaining cadence & increasing wattage implies a steady increase in resistance. If you tend to generate your higher power outputs by ‘spinning’ at higher cadences as opposed to pushing big gears, you may have run out of leg strength before you reached a cardiovascular limit.
The test might have been more indicative of your true fitness if you allowed yourself to increase wattage by increasing cadence with less pronounced increases in resistance.
I’ve done the conconi test with a computrainer twice. once with a friend and again a couple years later with a Exercise Phsyiology (sp?) Ph.d. who runs the human performance lab at Meredith College in NC.
The first time I did it we increased wattage every minute and plotted HR, it’s really really hard to just eyeball the true change in breathing.
Chris (or I should say Dr Eschbach’s) opinion on that protocal was the increase was too quick and can cause your muscles to get flooded with lactic acid to fast and that could cause premature fatigue to set in.
He also really questions Conconi’s concept of deflection - point at which your HR’s rate of change changes relative to work increases i.e. LT/AT/VT
He had me to a similar protocal on computrainer that had me ride at a steady state for 3 min, hooked up to mask and took blood lactate.
If there a simlar institution close by it’s well worth the effort to get tested professionally.
I peaked out at about 300 watts with a VO2max of 51
Thanks to both of you for your feedback. I do have a place locally where I can get tested professionally, I’ll do that for this benchmark. And on an ongoing basis I will do a modified Conconi where I increase the wattage by ten instead of twenty.
My coach tells me that this is typical of endurance athletes and I will suffer in my first couple of races.
I think 230 is good - I feel like I’m in pretty good shape - 33 y.o. man - bike is my weakest leg but I feel pretty competitive and I only hit 260 watts on Conconi. I think you’re doing great - esp. if you are just starting! Plus real world is where its at - and you CAN beat all the men up those hills. Race more not less!
