Abstract:Mobile power meters allow for cyclists to monitor power output (PO) during training and competition. The Garmin Vector power meter (VPM) measures PO at the pedal compared to the crank and has been tested in only a few limited studies. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reproducibility of the VPM by comparing it to the SRM. The VPM validity was tested by (1) a submaximal incremental test, (2) submaximal constant power test, (3) sprint test, and (4) a field test. The reliability of the VPM was tested by repeating the laboratory tests 10 times over a 6 week span. Significant differences (P = 0.046) were found between the mean PO SRM (178 ± 1.8 W) and PO VPM (163.5 ± 14.7 W) for the submaximal constant-power test. No significant differences were found between the PO MAX SRM and the PO MAX VPM. The reproducibility of the VPM was lower than the SRM (CV = 8.52 ± 4.0 vs 3.48 ± 1.9, 10.66% vs 5.50%, and 67.7% vs 55.3% for the submaximal incremental test, submaximal constant-power test, and field test respectively). The PO VPM appears to underestimate the PO SRM and is less valid and reliable across various cycling efforts.
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