User Manual

Joule 2.0 User Guide page 76
Joule 2.0 User Guide page 77
Chapter 14: Definition of Common Training Terms
Force
1. A vector quantity that produces an acceleration of a body in the direction of its application. 2.
To push. 3. The amount of pressure applied to the pedals or rear hub. 4. A measure of strength. 5.
Power divided by velocity.
Gross Mechanical Efficiency (GME)
1. The percentage of stored energy or food burned by the body that is converted to actual power
output. For an average person riding a bicycle the gross mechanical efficiency is equal to 22%.
Thus, for every 100 Kcals burned by an average person, only 22 Kcals is converted to actual power
at the pedals or rear hub. The rest is simply dissipated as heat or is used for other non-pedaling
functions. 2. In the past GME has been shown to be an important predictor of cycling perfor-
mance. Recent evidence, however, is controversial. Still, there are reports that the highest GME’s
found are in riders competing in grand tours like the Tour de France.
Hors Category Climb
1. A climb that is so difficult that it is beyond categorization. 2. Any climb longer and steeper than
a category 1 climb. 3. The most difficult climb in the Tour de France.
Horsepower
1. A measure of power where 1 horsepower is equal to 746 watts.
Intensity
1. The actual or perceived difficulty of a given workout, ride, or exercise bout. 2. The power output
or rate of energy expenditure. 3. How hard a workout, ride or exercise bout is. 4. The heat or tem-
perature. 5. The degree of difficulty. 6. Stress, when measured directly as the actual power output.
7. Strain, when measured as the response to a given power output (e.g., heart rate, perceived
exertion, oxygen consumption) 8. The percent of some reference maximal or sub-maximal value.
Chapter 14: Definition of Common Training Terms
Kilocalorie or Kcal
1. 1000 calories. 2. A unit of energy equal to that needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram or
liter of water 1 ˚C. 3. A measure of the amount of energy in food 4. On U.S. food labels, 1 Calo-
rie, spelled with a capital “C”, rather than a lower case “c” is equal to 1 Kilocalorie or Kcal. 5. 4.186
Kjoules 6. For a given person, the total energy burned in Kcals is equal to the total Kjoules of work
performed on a bicycle divided by 4.186 divided by the percent fraction (i.e., 22% = 0.22) of that
person’s gross mechanical efficiency. 7. 1 to 1.2 multiplied by the total Kjoules.
Lactate Threshold (LT) Zone
1. A hard intensity zone marked by a sudden increase in breathing rate. 2. On a 1 to 10 RPE scale, an
intensity corresponding to a 5 to 7 or “hard” to “really hard.” 3. On a 6 to 20 RPE scale, an intensity
corresponding to a 13 to 16 or “somewhat hard” to “very hard”. 4. A range of exercise intensity
beginning at a slight inflection or rise in the blood lactate over a resting baseline to an intensity
corresponding with a blood lactate 2 to 3 mM above a resting baseline. 5. A demarcation between
aerobic metabolism to a mix of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism. 6. An all out exercise intensity
that can be held between 40 minutes to 2 hours depending on the availability of stored carbohy-
drate or glycogen within the body.
Lactate Threshold
1. An exercise intensity where the production of lactate or appearance of lactate in the blood
exceeds the removal or disappearance of lactate from the blood. 2. An exercise intensity character-
ized by a sudden increase in breathing rate or ventilation. 3. An exercise intensity where individu-
als begin to feel a burning sensation in working muscle. 4. An exercise intensity considered to be
hard. 5. An exercise intensity that can be held for a prolonged period of time ranging from 40 min-
utes to 2 hours. 6. Amongst athletes with similar VO2 max values the power at lactate threshold is
the strongest predictor of performance.
Lactate Threshold Break Point
1. The power output or exercise intensity where blood lactate just begins to increase above its
resting baseline. 2. An exercise intensity characterized as somewhat hard. 3. The upper end of the
endurance training zone and the bottom end of the lactate threshold zone. 4. An exercise intensity
that can be held for 1 to 3 hours or as long as there is available stored carbohydrate or glycogen.