What is the Power Meter Project?

It is a non-scientific project to see how wattage controlled training programs work for motivated cyclists at different levels. The only requirement to be included in the project is to have a calibrated Power Tap or SRM power meter mounted on the bike.

How many riders are involved in the Power Meter Project?
There are 5 riders included in the Power Meter Project 2007. All riders have a different background and motivation for participating. They receive a 12 week training program that is based on their personal performance in maximum power tests (more maximum power tests).

Participants in the Power Meter Project 2007
Paul Skiba (Complete Results)
Thomas Davis
Dave Simonson (Complete Results)
Gonzalo Vilaseca (Complete Results)
Marc Moeller (Complete Results)

How many times are the riders tested during the project?
Testing maximum power is an essential part of the project. Before the project started the riders had a week to get familiar with the testing procedure. It is important to know how to pace yourself during a 5min critical power test to get the most reliable result. In week 1 of the Power Meter Project they will do the exactly same tests as they did just a week or two ago, but now we are going to use the results to calculate wattage in their individual training programs.  They will perform 4 different tests at home (maximum power for sprints, anaerobic endurance, VO2 max and threshold power.)

The following 11 weeks will be used for training to achieve their personal goals. There will be updates from the athletes themselves and from me about their progress. Their training programs will be adjusted referring to their test results. In the end of the project there will be another test week as an objective evaluation of the Power Meter Project 2007.

Testing protocol
Week 1: (maximum power for sprints, anaerobic endurance, VO2 max and threshold power.)
Week 6: (maximum power for sprints, anaerobic endurance, VO2 max and threshold power.)
Week 12: (maximum power for sprints, anaerobic endurance, VO2 max and threshold power.)

How did the Power Meter Project 2007 start?
The idea about the Power Meter Project started back in November 2006. I was curious to see how much progress it is possible to make for motivated riders with wattage controlled training principles. I already know how much power meter training have done to my own riders, but I think it is interesting to see if it is possible to help other riders to make progress. Also, I thought this was a good chance for me as a coach to review some of my ideas on power meter training. Thus, there might be some experiments in the training programs, but they are primarily based on evidence based exercise physiology. I expect all the riders to make progress but it is certainly difficult to make a forecast on the final results. It is especially interesting to see if they can reach their personal goals for the Power Meter Project 2007.

Disclaimer
Please note: The Power Meter Project 2007 has no sponsor and the riders are participating for free. Please support the riders and motivate them to make progress (make comments on their posts). This project should not be considered as scientific evidence, but might very likely show some of the benefits you can get from wattage based training programs.