Saddle Height and Power Output

[Steve_B]

(aerobars don't help with power production but reduce power loss and possibly even reduce power production by restricting chest expansion).

I always thought the power loss was probably due to a tight torso-to-femur angle.

 

[swampy1970]

I always thought the power loss was probably due to a tight torso-to-femur angle.

I've always wondered about that and it's something that I keep meaning to test on a steep hill with a fairly constant gradient. My road bike has a fairly steep seat angle and I have an old Look Ergostem so I can basically put the bars whereever.... Maybe one day I'll pop the bars up and see what happens.

Training on my old time trial bike I didn't notice any drop in speed or cadence (in a given gear) when changing from the regular bars to the aerobars. Then again, we did spend close to two months getting the position dialed in on a fully adjustable ergometer beforehand, so maybe mine really isn't a valid comparison.

 

[sogood]

Any body posture change that restrict your respiratory muscles will limit your chest movement and ventilation. Diaphragmatic compression from tight torso-femur angle is just one part of it.

 

[jbvcoaching]

Any body posture change that restrict your respiratory muscles will limit your chest movement and ventilation. Diaphragmatic compression from tight torso-femur angle is just one part of it.

No argument there, I think SteveB was hoping you'd show evidence that lung capacity is a limiter in aerobic power production in healthy (i.e. - no lung disease) humans.

 

[sogood]

No argument there, I think SteveB was hoping you'd show evidence that lung capacity is a limiter in aerobic power production in healthy (i.e. - no lung disease) humans.

No direct experimental data apart from first principle. Maybe I should be more evidence base and search Medline.

 

[Steve_B]

Any body posture change that restrict your respiratory muscles will limit your chest movement and ventilation. Diaphragmatic compression from tight torso-femur angle is just one part of it.

I guess if someone rode with a metered gas mask at FTP in both road and (compressed torso-to-femur angle) TT positions and compared the VE and VO2 between the two positions, we would know, right?

I doubt that I'm the first person to propose that.

 

[sogood]

I am sure those tests have been done.