Low Cadence Training: Myth or Science Backed? | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 565

Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast
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A quick holiday episode taking a look at the current body of research on low cadence training, sometimes referred to as strength endurance training, high torque training, or SFT training.

This is another interesting example of perhaps athletes leading science, or athletes following tradition rather than science, and I’d be curious to hear your thoughts!

I also discuss the exciting new upcoming TrainerRoad AI launch for a bit! Stay tuned for more detail on that :wink:

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Welcome + SFR training overview

(00:00:33) TrainerRoad AI announcement

(00:02:05) Why TrainerRoad AI ≠ chatbot coaching

(00:06:03) What SFR training is

(00:09:15) Force vs cadence & muscle fiber recruitment

(00:14:16) Why the research is mixed

(00:15:18) Study: Low cadence maximal intervals (Paton 2009)

(00:18:06) Study: Low cadence climbing & TT transfer

(00:19:53) Study: Low cadence HIIT in female cyclists

(00:22:21) Studies showing no added benefit

(00:26:02) Injury risk & knee stress considerations

(00:29:09) When and how to use SFR safely

(00:33:08) Key takeaways & final advice

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- TrainerRoad’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehannahotto

- TrainerRoad AI Blog Post: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/trainerroads-biggest-update-ever-is-coming-%f0%9f%91%80/

- TrainerRoad AI Forum Post: https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/trainerroad-s-biggest-update-ever-is-coming/107205/26

- Paton, et al., 2009 Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19675486/

- Nimmerichter, et al., 2012 Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21479957/

- Hebisz, et al., 2024 Study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311833

- Kristoffersen, et al., 2014 Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3907705/pdf/fphys-05-00034.pdf

- Hansen, et al., 2017 Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28095074/

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram :camera_with_flash: https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad

- Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club :person_biking: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/trzwiftclub⁠

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As a paracyclist with one leg low cadence work is my kryptonite as it reinforces the power difference. High cadence means I can “hide” the lack of power in my artificial leg through momentum.

But once I realized the issue after hearing Keegan on the podcast I started to focus on it.

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Really informative! I like this podcast format (length and scientific overview) a lot

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Very interesting, but I’m not a consumer of podcasts so here’s an AI summary of the podcast:

Low-cadence (“SFR”) training is a marginal, situational tool—not a proven necessity.
It might improve metabolic efficiency and muscular endurance in some contexts, but the scientific evidence is mixed, the benefits are small, and the injury risk is real if misapplied.

If you use it at all, it should be optional, conservative, and subordinate to hitting power targets.

What SFR / Low-Cadence Training Is

Low cadence (≈50–70 rpm), high torque, usually at steady power

Same watts, more force per pedal stroke

Historically came from climbing with limited gearing

Theoretical goal: alter muscle recruitment toward greater efficiency

The Theory (Why People Think It Works)

Based on Henneman’s Size Principle:

Low force → slow-twitch fibers

High force → fast-twitch fibers

SFR attempts to create a “mixed signal”:

Force is high (normally fast-twitch territory)

Power is moderate (aerobic territory)

Hypothesis: this nudges muscles toward becoming more slow-twitch-like, improving:

Metabolic efficiency

Fatigue resistance

Durability late in rides

This theory is plausible, but not definitively proven.

What the Research Says (Short Version)

Some studies show modest benefits

Often when low cadence is paired with high intensity

Gains seen in VO₂max, peak power, or climbing performance

Other studies show no benefit or favor normal cadence

Especially when cadence is extremely low (≈40 rpm)

Or when intensity is only tempo-level

Systematic reviews conclude:

There is no strong evidence for a universal benefit of low-cadence training.

In other words:

It sometimes works

It often doesn’t

It is not reliably superior to normal training

Injury Risk Is the Biggest Practical Issue

Low cadence substantially increases joint and connective-tissue load, especially at the knee.

High-risk factors:

Knee pain history

Poor hip/glute stability

IT band or patellofemoral issues

Jumping straight to very low cadences

If you feel knee tracking instability or pain: do not do SFR.

This is a hard stop, not a “train through it” situation.

How Pros Actually Use It (Empirically)

Despite weak evidence, pros often:

Use moderate low cadence (≈55–70 rpm, not 40)

Apply it during tempo → sweet spot → low threshold

Keep intervals 8–12 minutes, rarely longer

Use it selectively, not year-round

This is more tradition and experience than science.

Coach’s Practical Recommendation (The Important Part)

Do NOT use SFR if it compromises your ability to hold power

Power targets matter more than cadence experiments

Any potential gain is small compared to:

Adequate volume

Proper recovery

Consistent execution

If you do try it:

Use it in base phase, not peak/race phases

Start conservatively:

First 5 min of an interval only

70 rpm → 65 → 60 over weeks

Never force very low cadence

Abort immediately if joint discomfort appears

Who Might Benefit (Marginally)

You might consider SFR if:

You struggle late in long rides despite good pacing

You’re chasing durability, not peak power

You’re injury-free and biomechanically stable

You accept this as marginal gains, not a shortcut

Psychological toughness is likely a larger benefit than physiological adaptation.

Final Verdict

Not required

Not strongly supported by research

Potentially useful for some athletes, some of the time

High injury cost if misused

Much less important than simply training well

6 Likes
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And here’s your summary summarized.

Summary of the Post

The post is an AI‑generated recap of a TrainerRoad podcast discussing low‑cadence / SFR (Slow Frequency Repetition) training. The overall takeaway is that low‑cadence work is optional, situational, and far from essential.

Key Points

  • Low‑cadence training (50–70 rpm) increases torque at the same power, theoretically shifting muscle recruitment in ways that might improve efficiency and durability.

  • The science is mixed:

    • Some studies show small benefits, usually when paired with higher intensity.

    • Many show no advantage over normal cadence.

    • Reviews conclude there’s no strong evidence that low cadence is superior.

  • Injury risk is the biggest concern, especially for knees. It’s easy to overload joints if you jump into very low cadences or have existing issues.

  • How pros use it:

    • Moderate low cadence (55–70 rpm)

    • During tempo → sweet spot → low threshold

    • Short intervals (8–12 minutes)

    • Sparingly, not year‑round

  • Coach’s practical advice:

    • Don’t do SFR if it compromises your ability to hit power targets.

    • Any benefit is small compared to consistent training, volume, and recovery.

    • If you try it, introduce it gradually and stop immediately if joints complain.

  • Who might benefit:

    • Riders seeking more durability late in long rides

    • Athletes with no injury history and good stability

    • People who understand it’s a marginal tool, not a shortcut

Final Verdict

Low‑cadence training is not necessary, not strongly supported by research, and carries injury risk if misused. It can help a subset of riders in specific situations, but it’s far less important than simply training consistently and hitting power targets.

And here’s that summarized summary in one sentence.

Low‑cadence training offers, at best, small and inconsistent benefits and carries notable injury risk, so it’s an optional tool—not a necessary or superior one.

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And here’s a summary of your summary:

Low-cadence (SFR) training is optional, situational, and not essential. While low cadence can increase torque and may theoretically improve muscle recruitment, research shows mixed results, with most studies finding little to no advantage over normal cadence. The primary concern is injury risk—particularly to the knees—especially if introduced abruptly or performed at very low cadences. Professionals who use it do so sparingly, at moderate cadences, for short intervals, and alongside higher intensities. Overall, any potential benefit is marginal compared to consistent training, adequate volume, and proper recovery.

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That summary is longer than the actual podcast :rofl:

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And a summary of your summary of the summary:

“There was a podcast on cadence drills”

Didn’t even need AI for that one - maybe there’s hope for us yet?

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What a mess that is; is the AI not able to deduplicate itself, keep it concise, and form paragraphs?

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Just listen. No need to dump ai slop all over the forum

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It’s happening more and more here and everywhere else on the internet. I hate it.

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Especially as all asking an LLM is like is asking a child to go and read the internet and report back.

It’s impressive how quick it does it.

But you ain’t gonna learn anything you couldn’t find out yourself.

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I was once told by a physiologist, “coaches know what works, physiologists try to find out why.”

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I kinda hate all the youtubes and podcasts rather than edited text and pictures. It seems cheap and lazy. I always look for transcripts where available, but that doesn’t cut out all informal chatting/noise. In the case of the summary I posted, I first had to get a transcript then fed that into AI to minimize the extraneous crap. I chose the longest AI summary to minimize its editing and interpretation, which might distort shorter summaries.

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Good Podcast. Low Cadence / High Torque Intervals seem really popular at the moment and seems like everyday I hear of another pro doing these intervals. I would think there is some benefit in just mixing up cadence and the intervals from what you normally do. Same with high cadence / low torque intervals. I feel like these would have helped with training for LT100 last year as you end up doing these on the goat trail and steep part of Powerline (not by choice) :laughing:

I have recently messed with them a little and have noticed I can put out much higher watts at a much lower perceived effort and heart rate when doing them. I have kept power in high tempo / low threshold and torque was around 55-60 if I remember correctly. I agree that you should do them with caution as it can lead to injury. You want to make sure your bike fit and pedal stroke are on point as I could see them creating knee issues if these are not correct.

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Anecdote on low cadence.

I personally usually just pedal at whatever cadence feels right IRL (different with erg mode on the trainer). This means a bit faster at higher intensity.

Focusing on cadence for z2… My main events are ultras. Cadence always naturally drops over the course of long rides - by 600k, I’m usually somewhere in the 60s.

My preferred cadence for any ride in general has also slowly dropped over the years as I’ve spent more time doing long distance riding. Was around 95 way back in the day. Now it’s usually between 70-80 depending on the day.

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At 3:49 Jonathan says the revised TR AI engine looks at heart rate (along with other data). Within the last year I’ve been told by 2 different TR support people that the AI Engine does NOT look at heart rate.

Is this changing so that it will soon be looking at heart rate?

Or has it been previously and my support people were misinformed?

Or maybe we Jonathan mis-spoke?

This is important to me because I have permanent atrial fibrillation, which can cause my heart rate to respond to training stimuli in unpredictable ways. If the model is using heartrate data I should probably stop using the heart rate monitor.

If it doesn’t then I’d like to keep using the monitor because when I ride outdoors (without a power meter) it does give me some information (along with RPE, speed vs. gradient, etc.) about how hard I’m pushing.

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My coach has been giving me low cadence drills thos winter on a weekly basis and I LOVE them. They are my favourite workout by a long way. I guess I am naturally a slow pedaller anyway, from years of mtb up steep hills and years of riding my old road without enough easy gears (by today’s standards) bike also up steep hills where the only way to get to the top was out of the saddle. Like the posters above, I also find my cadence drops significantly over long events too.

Yet, I have been working hard to increase my cadence over the last couple of years so it was a surprise when she scheduled them. However, they are really making me concentrate on form. I find it much easier to put out power at lower cadence for the corresponding heart rate and RPE.

I look forward to seeing them each week in my training calendar.

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Nice catch. I missed that. I’m very hopeful that they are starting to use HR, but I fully understand why you’re not.