Zwift Trainer Difficultly Setting

Hi Zwifters,

I know the topic trainer difficulty setting is being discussed very extensively. However, I would like to raise another point looking at this topic from a different angle.

If you set trainer difficulty to 100%, there is no hiding. It’s the real deal as you would get riding outside. However, if you change the difficulty to 10-20% (just to get a little bit of real feel) you will change HOW YOU personally experience the hill.

Here is the point. If you have the setting at 100% it could feel like interval training. If you have it 10-20% you will experience the hill more smoothly. Meaning your muscles will no spike (lactate) and you “might” survive the hill attack in a race and could carry on than throwing in the towel right there.

So, over an hour race with a few hills in it like Watopia figure 8, I believe you will race better (more consistent heart rate) than with a setting like 100% where you body has to deal with peak heart rates (changes) all the time over an hour race. I feel our body’s will react better and perform more consistent when you heart rate and power outputs don’t change that often.

What are your thoughts on that?

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Lower trainer difficulty for racing?