I’m sure this question has been asked before but I couldn’t find it.
I get that xss is primarily a power function I just wonder if it ever takes into account the exertion of a ride as evidenced by heart rate. Example, heart rate was about 10 points elevated on average probably due to heat and wind. I feel like I worked a lot harder than a similar ride with I’m assuming the same xss although although I have not checked. Either way, I definitely feel like it was a harder workout so wondering if that metric ever gets accounted for anywhere.
This is a great thought, but the system doesn’t currently do this. There’s no decoupling tracked in the software. It’s a question I’ve often pondered myself… if the power required is relatively easy, but HR is (relatively speaking) harder than you’d expect, what is the actual end resulting training stimulus?
Most often HR is only higher as a result of increased core body temps, requiring more blood be shunted out to the peripheries in an attempt to cool us down. Not sure if that would qualify as making a ride “harder” if the power demanded is exactly the same as a cooler day (though I will say it may definitely feel harder/more exhausting).
I would think that question or at least that explanation from @ManofSteele might be right in Dr. Cheung’s wheelhouse? He did an Pez Cycling article recently on cooling and impact on performance n=1 and it did seem that cooling had some sort of impact on performance.
Thanks, one ride was due to heat, the other was a sustained 14mph headwinds for 60 min. Either way, power is power but I think that 10pt avg HR elevation should at least factor into recovery somehow.
Cooling has a big impact. I got caught in a very cold thunderstorm once on a hot and humid day. I thought it was going to hail it was so cold. After the 5 minute rain, my legs felt strong as heck. I was putting out considerably more power. The difference was very noticeable.