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Stunning difference in power R vs L (Read 192 times)

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

    I was borrowing Garmin power meter pedals for a while just for curiosity's sake. We finally got around to extracting the data and I'm sorta shocked to see the imbalance in power between my right and left legs. We're talking R:L ~65:35 (even 55:45 would be considered significant). I'm guessing this issue goes back to well before my cycling lifetime. When I first started running and started to increase my mileage and suffer overuse injuries they were ALWAYS on my right side. But I have sprained my left ankle twice. Which makes me think that for some reason my right leg has been doing the lion's share of the work for my weak left side.

     

    So...this has me wondering why one side would be so much stronger than the other. I have long suspected that my right leg is longer than the left. Would that be enough to explain this, or should I be looking at something else? Does it even matter, or am I risking major problems (ie back, hip, knees, etc.) down the road?

    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

         ~ Sarah Kay


    Latent Runner

      Hmmm, interesting information.  I've managed to break both of my legs (28 years apart) down near the ankle and partially tore the right foot off in the process; I wonder how much of an imbalance I have in my legs.

      Fat old man PRs:

      • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
      • 2-mile: 13:49
      • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
      • 5-Mile: 37:24
      • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
      • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
      • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

        I have no idea why it could be, but I've always known my left leg is stronger than my right.  It's really obvious when I do single leg (pistol) squats.

         

        I always suspected the imbalance because if I try to jump off either leg, I could get much higher jumping off the left one.  I attributed it to being right handed, but not sure which is the cause and which is the effect.  But, I'm beginning to think that because it was more comfortable jumping off my left left, it got used more and got stronger.

         

        ZZ, are you right or left handed?

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        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          I have no idea why it could be, but I've always known my left leg is stronger than my right.  It's really obvious when I do single leg (pistol) squats.

           

          I always suspected the imbalance because if I try to jump off either leg, I could get much higher jumping off the left one.  I attributed it to being right handed, but not sure which is the cause and which is the effect.  But, I'm beginning to think that because it was more comfortable jumping off my left left, it got used more and got stronger.

           

          ZZ, are you right or left handed?

           

          Right...and I've always been pretty certain that I was right-dominant.  In Jr. high/HS as a sprinter I always pushed-off out of the starting blocks with my right leg.  In soccer I couldn't kick with my left leg to save my life.  I don't know which came first...dominant use of my right leg because it's what was expected as a right-hander, or if it's simply because I was born with a crazy imbalance.  I've long suspected my right leg is longer, too, since I tend to get lower back pain on that side if I stand for a long time in one place.  I actually have one arm that is 1cm shorter than the other.  I forget which one, but I think it's my right (when I ride I tend to have my right hand back just slightly on the hoods.  And that's the wrist I busted nearly 2 years ago).  I only know one's shorter from a recent bike fitting.  Or maybe it's my left.  DH noticed I ride with one shoulder higher than the other.  I don't think this was the case before my wrist injury.

           

          But here's the weird part...I have always been a left-eyed photographer and shot a gun or bow/arrow focusing with my left.  And my dad and sister are lefties...brother would have been, too, had he not had an old-school, lazy teacher who forced him to use his right hand (he still played soccer like a lefty, though).

           

          Shit, I'm a friggin' mess of irregularities! Tongue

          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

               ~ Sarah Kay

            My daughter is a right handed, but kicks soccer ball with her left and jumps off her left leg.  Maybe the stronger right hand means a stronger left leg to balance out the rotation?

              I wound up going to a PT for a weak left leg / hip which started causing some chronic left hip pain. Once I began strengthening that side, the pain lessened.  It's basically gone now, but I can tell I need to keep at that left side.  I think mine had something to do with a bulging disc that was pressing on nerve on my left side.

               

              A weak left side took its toll on me. I would work on getting it stronger to avoid more injury down the road.

              Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

                You sound surprised by the results of the power meter pedals.

                When you bike, do you feel like there's a dominant leg?  I'm guessing you don't

                Do you see any muscle tone difference?

                Can you tell if the power difference is on the upstroke or the downstroke or both? (quads or hamstrings)

                Seems like power would typically be measured through the hub as opposed to a left side or right side pedal.  The pedal stroke is supported by both upstroke and downstoke.

                 

                I don't have a power meter.

                I don't know the difference between a pedal meter or a power meter through the hub.
                I have no idea how mine would read with either.

                 

                It seems odd to read about power coming from a left vs a right side while biking though.


                Brian

                Life Goals:

                #1: Do what I can do

                #2: Enjoy life

                 

                 

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                rectumdamnnearkilledem

                  A weak left side took its toll on me. I would work on getting it stronger to avoid more injury down the road.

                   

                  For sure.  I don't want to be limited in the future by something stupid like this.  And I've had far more lower back issues in the past couple of years than ever before.  I suspect that could be related.

                  Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                  remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                       ~ Sarah Kay

                  zoom-zoom


                  rectumdamnnearkilledem

                    You sound surprised by the results of the power meter pedals.

                    When you bike, do you feel like there's a dominant leg?  I'm guessing you don't

                    Do you see any muscle tone difference?

                    Can you tell if the power difference is on the upstroke or the downstroke or both? (quads or hamstrings)

                    Seems like power would typically be measured through the hub as opposed to a left side or right side pedal.  The pedal stroke is supported by both upstroke and downstoke.

                     

                    I don't have a power meter.

                    I don't know the difference between a pedal meter or a power meter through the hub.
                    I have no idea how mine would read with either.

                     

                    It seems odd to read about power coming from a left vs a right side while biking though.


                    Brian

                     

                    The pedals show overall power, too (mine is apparently pretty decent for a woman my size, which was good to know--especially with my left leg just going along for the ride -- literally, heh)...I have no idea how any of this works.  I just play with the toys, I don't analyze them.  My DH could probably explain it in better detail.

                     

                    Not sure if the meter shows upstroke and downstroke.  I assume just downstroke, but they record such a ridiculous amount of data that it makes my head spin.

                     

                    Given the #s I would have guessed my right leg would be visibly different from my left, but it's not.  When I ride I've always suspected that my right leg might be a hair stronger, but I never thought it would account for significantly more than 55% of the work.

                    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                         ~ Sarah Kay

                    xhristopher


                      You never can be sure about your equipment. To test against defect garmin reccomends reversing your cleat direction and riding your bike facing backwards on a spin trainer. If you get the same result they prescribe single leg spin drills once per week until you see a more efficient balance.

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                      rectumdamnnearkilledem

                        You never can be sure about your equipment. To test against defect garmin reccomends reversing your cleat direction and riding your bike facing backwards on a spin trainer. If you get the same result they prescribe single leg spin drills once per week until you see a more efficient balance.

                         

                        Bwahahaha...OW!

                        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                             ~ Sarah Kay

                          Interesting Review of the product

                           

                          "Perhaps the most interesting thing about the L/R data – which can be viewed in real time or a rolling three-second average – is how it changes over the course of a ride. Many test riders noticed a larger discrepancy (five to 10 percent) when pedaling easy than when riding steady (about one to two percent). In long-term testing, one rider's L/R output changed over the course of a few months by as much as four percent, with some rides favoring the left leg and others the right."

                          Life Goals:

                          #1: Do what I can do

                          #2: Enjoy life

                           

                           


                          flatland mountaineer

                            You might find this website interesting to peruse. http://hruskaclinic.com/our-approach/

                             

                            I am a huge fan, they have done wonders for me but have also had success with athletes at all levels.

                            The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!

                            Support Ethanol, drink the best, burn the rest.

                            Run for fun? What the hell kind of recreation is that?  quote from Back to the Fut III

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                            rectumdamnnearkilledem

                              You might find this website interesting to peruse. http://hruskaclinic.com/our-approach/

                               

                              I am a huge fan, they have done wonders for me but have also had success with athletes at all levels.

                               

                              I should see if I can find something like that in this area...perhaps treatment/services from a PT would be similar.

                               

                              Another thing that I'm likely going to address is calibration of the pedals.  We didn't do a real thorough job with that and the more I read, the more it appears that poor calibration can really skew things.  That may be something to do on the indoor trainer this Winter when it should be easier to run through the calibration more carefully than on the street.

                              Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                              remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                                   ~ Sarah Kay


                              flatland mountaineer

                                You might find a PRI (Hruska) trained pt in your area. They have pt's all over the country that have attended at least some training from them.

                                The whole world said I shoulda used red but it looked good to Charlene in John Deere Green!!

                                Support Ethanol, drink the best, burn the rest.

                                Run for fun? What the hell kind of recreation is that?  quote from Back to the Fut III

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