Training 'smarter' is about spending your energy wisely by training at the right intensity and tracking your fitness to ensure that your training is producing results.
Racing 'smarter' is about pacing a perfect race by understanding the physiological demands of the event and knowing how to best spend your energy.
Paddling more efficiently is about developing a technique that converts as much of your energy output into forward boat motion as possible.
It starts with being able to accurately measure and track your power output - a direct measurement of intensity.
Unlike heart rate monitors, which measure the body’s response to intensity, or GPS boat speed measuring devices and stroke rate sensors, which are affected by environmental conditions (water current, wind speed, water density & water temperature), a power meter provides you with a direct measure of your energy output.
This direct and objective measure of intensity is immediate and power values can be compared from day-to-day, independent of environmental conditions, equipment (boat, paddle length & blade type) and paddling technique.
With a power meter you can determine the training levels (relative to your Functional Threshold Power) which correspond to each of your physiological energy systems. Using the real-time power feedback you can keep to the correct intensity and maintain quality throughout your session.
Using a power meter for every paddling session allows you to quantify and monitor the training stress (training load) that your body was subject to during training and racing. This information can inform you or your coach whether you need to focus on recovery (to prevent injury or illness) or increasing your training load.
With a power meter you can perform fitness testing whenever you want, regardless of the environmental conditions (wind speed, water current, water density & water temperature) and boat setup. You can track your fitness throughout the season and across durations (e.g. '10s Max Power', '4min Max Power' & '20min Max Power').
Using a power meter you can find a more efficient technique by monitoring your boat speed and power output whilst adjusting your technique (requires consistent environmental conditions). The more efficient technique will either convert more of your power into forward motion or allow you to maintain the same boat speed with less power.
Knowing your maximum average power and learning how to pace off that number can lead to better race-day performance! Don’t blow up in the first 25% of the paddle because you can paddle faster at the beginning. Pacing can delay the onset of fatigue from endurance events and allow for a faster average speed.
Having a recorded power file from a training paddle or race can give your coach greater insights into your physical capabilities. A 2 hour paddle at 200 watts is very different from a 2 hour paddle at 150 watts. Now your coach can have a better understanding of your training and see the details of each paddle as though he/she was right there with you.
A power meter is a fibreglass spigot which has been instrumented with force and motion sensors. The power meter spigot is hot melt glued inside into a paddle shaft in order to measure the power-output, force and stroke-rate of a paddler.
As you paddle your Power, Power Balance (left stroke vs. right stroke power distribution) and Cadence (stroke-rate) will be displayed in real-time on any compatible ANT+ display, updated every second.
Garmin Forerunner 910XT, 920XT; Garmin EDGE520, EDGE530; Suunto Ambit2 (S); Samsung Galaxy S6; Polar M460 and many, many more.
You can record these metrics on your ANT+ display alongside your GPS boat speed and heart rate. You can then use software such as Garmin Connect™, Strava™ or TrainingPeaks™ to view your data and analyze your performance.
View your stroke profiles - power, pushing hand force & pulling hand force during each stroke - at 50 samples a second.
Imbalances in power and imbalances in hand forces between the left and right strokes highlight weaknesses or an improper paddle offset. Symmetry is important for compatibility with other athletes in a team boat, and it is the key to achieving a smoother boat run. High Speed Data will uncover whether any imbalances exist.
A team boat will perform at its best when each athlete is paddling in time with the rest of the crew. High Speed Data will show you the catch and exit timing of every athlete in the boat who is using a power meter.