Understanding Power Measurements on Your Strava Dashboard
Do you ride with a power meter?
Most dedicated racers and cyclists opt for it because, unlike heart rate, it is a more accurate way to measure your output as a cyclist, and it provides valuable insights into your cycling performance, helping you track your progress and optimize your training.
On your Strava dashboard, you'll encounter various power-related metrics that shed light on different aspects of your rides.
But what do all the different measurements mean? In this post, we will explore the power measurements on your Strava dashboard and how you can use them in your training.
1. Average Power: This is precisely what it sounds like—the average amount of power you produce throughout your ride. It's a crucial metric that helps you gauge the intensity of your efforts and compare your performance across different rides. A higher average power generally indicates a more intense workout. Getting this up will help increase your endurance and ability to tackle long rides.
2. Max Power: Your Max Power represents the highest power level you generate during a single effort, typically during a sprint or a steep climb. This metric showcases your peak performance and explosive capabilities, offering insights into your sprinting prowess and short-term power output.
3. Weighted Average Power (WAP): Similar to average power, except this uses a mathematical algorithm to account for the varying intensity levels of your ride. It places more importance on higher power zones and less on lower zones. WAP provides a more accurate representation of your overall effort into the ride, making it particularly useful for interval training analysis. This measurement can be valuable to help manage your racing. Try comparing your overall WAP from race to race.
4. Total Work: Quantifies the energy expended during your ride. It's measured in kilojoules (kJ) and gives you an idea of the total physical effort required for the ride. Total Work is influenced by both the duration and intensity of your ride, making it a valuable metric for tracking your energy expenditure over time. This metric is used to determine how many calories are burned in most systems, including Strava. Be sure to input your height and weight in your profile to get a more accurate calorie number.
5. Training Load: A vital metric to help understand the cumulative strain on your body from your recent rides. Strava calculates it based on the intensity and duration of your workouts relative to your FTP. (Make sure to enter your correct FTP number into your profile. If you don’t have one, you should look into doing an FTP test. An Achieve coach would be happy to help with this.) A higher Training Load indicates a more demanding training regimen, which can help you manage your training volume and avoid overtraining. Starva provides these estimates for rest based on your training load:
-About 24 hours – 125 and lower
-36-48 hours – 125-250
-At least 3 days – 250-400
-At least 5 days – 400+
6. Intensity: Displayed as a percentage, indicates how hard you worked during a specific segment or ride. It's calculated as a percentage of your effort relative to your Functional Threshold Power (FTP), and for a short ride of less than an hour, it’s possible to have an intensity of over 100%. Intensity is useful for evaluating your training zones and understanding the distribution of effort during your ride. (Again, you need to have the correct FTP number in your profile for this to be accurate.)
The power measurements on your Strava dashboard provide a comprehensive view of your cycling performance, from your overall power output to specific details about your efforts.
By understanding and analyzing these metrics, you can make informed decisions about your training, track your progress, and optimize your cycling experience.
If you want more insight into using power to improve your cycling performance, consider working with a coach who can create a power-based training program tailored just for you.
