Triona Pottinger | One Giant Leap - The recent influx of performance measurement technology over the last decade is fantastic news for paddlers - knowledge is power as they say, and the more you know about how you’re performing, the more you can do to improve your results.

However sometimes it can be hard to know which device is the right one to invest in. All paddlers have different needs and goals, so choosing a device comes down to identifying which things are most important to you when it comes to your sport.

In this guide we’ve covered the pro’s and con’s of the four main performance measurement devices available to paddlers - Heart Rate Monitors, GPS Speed and Distance Monitors, Cadence Sensors and Power Meters. If you’re looking to improve your performance on the water but need some help picking and choosing between the different technologies, then this guide is for you.

Heart Rate Monitor
Heart rate monitors have been in use for decades now, and they were really one of the first devices that the everyday athlete could use to measure their performance. They are still popular today and because they have been in use for so long, there are numerous scientific studies available which relate heart rate to intensity and training zone setting. This device certainly has its place in a well balanced training regime.

Heart rate monitoring is a very effective method of gauging training intensities, however it does have a few limitations which require careful management. The main point to keep in mind is that a heart rate monitor doesn’t give you a direct measurement of intensity - it measures your body’s response to intensity. This is a key distinction to make.

Photo: www.washrider.com

GPS Speed and Distance Monitor
Speed and Distance Monitors are a useful addition to any paddler’s training regime. They are helpful in determining pacing and race planning in particular, and the fact that GPS speed data integrates with many tracking apps means it is a great way to log your training history. Keeping a record of training is important for making sure you are meeting your training requirements.

The caveat of a GPS Speed and Distance Monitor is that while the information it provides can be very useful, there is the fact that speed is easily affected by environmental conditions (such as wind and water current). This means that it can be difficult to separate out your actual effort from the external factors affecting your boat.

Cadence Sensor
In days gone by the only way to measure your cadence was to start a stopwatch and count the number of strokes performed over a given distance. Technology has since evolved to give us a more efficient means of measuring stroke-rate.

As with the previous two devices covered here, it is important to remember that cadence is just one part of the training picture. For example if your aim is to develop a more efficient stroke through use of a cadence sensor (by keeping stroke-rate steady but trying to increase speed), then you need to ensure that your speed is being accurately tracked as well. Likewise this device will be at its most useful if factors such as environmental conditions and equipment are managed.

Power Meter
Commonly referred to in cycling as the ‘Holy Grail of performance measurement’, training with power is now a reality for paddlers as well. Power meter technology has been used by National Canoe Sprint Federations for years, and since becoming available commercially in 2013 more and more individual paddlers are turning to power meters to train.

Training with power overcomes the weaknesses of the other performance measurement devices. Power meters measure the power-output, force and stroke-rate of a paddler, and they are the only device which will provide you with a direct measurement of the exact thing that governs performance - energy output. Because power is unaffected by external factors such as environmental conditions, you are able to track and compare your performances knowing that the data you’re viewing is due to effort alone. This gives you incredibly powerful information which (among other benefits) will allow you to find your optimal stroke-rate, develop your most efficient technique, set training levels and monitor your fitness development.

With performance measurement devices becoming increasingly more mainstream, the future of paddling is filled with possibilities. Athletes are hungry for any information that is going to give them an edge on the water, and these devices enable that - ultimately giving you, the paddler, more control over your results.

Now the only question is - which device is best for you?