CoachingAnswer

WHAT IS NORMALISED POWER IN CYCLING?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 10 July 2026

ANSWER

Normalised Power (NP) estimates the physiological cost of a ride as if the effort had been perfectly steady. It accounts for the disproportionate metabolic cost of intensity surges — coasting at 0W then sprinting at 600W is far harder than riding at 300W throughout, even though average power might be similar. NP is calculated by taking a 30-second rolling average of power, raising each value to the fourth power, averaging those values, then taking the fourth root. The result is always equal to or greater than average power, and the gap between the two reveals how variable your effort was.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

NP reflects the metabolic cost of a ride better than average power because it weights intensity surges.
The gap between NP and average power (the Variability Index) tells you how steady or surging your effort was — a VI of 1.0 is perfectly steady.
Intensity Factor (IF) is your NP divided by your FTP — values above 1.0 mean you exceeded threshold on average.
NP is the input used to calculate TSS, which is why accurate NP matters for load management.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

Power meter users confused by the difference between average and NP

Your ride files show two different power numbers and you are unsure which one to pay attention to or why they differ.

Racers analysing post-race files from criteriums or road races

Your average power looks low but you felt destroyed — NP explains why the surging nature of racing costs far more energy than the average suggests.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Average power lies to you. If you coasted for half a criterium and then sprinted for every corner, your average power might look like an easy ride. NP tells the truth — it captures the actual physiological cost of those surges, which is what determines how wrecked you feel afterwards.

Where NP becomes most useful is in pacing events. If your NP for the first half of a sportive is significantly above your FTP, you are on borrowed time. Checking NP at the halfway point (if your head unit displays it) gives you an honest read on whether your pacing is sustainable.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Dr Andrew CogganCo-developer of Normalised Power and the power training framework
Normalised Power was created because average power fails to capture the non-linear relationship between power output and physiological strain. The fourth-power algorithm was chosen because it best reflects the exponential increase in metabolic cost as intensity rises. A ride with constant surging at 150% of FTP interspersed with coasting is dramatically harder than steady riding at the same average, and NP captures that difference mathematically.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Compare NP to average power after every ride
Check the Variability Index (NP / average power) on your ride file. A steady time trial will show a VI of 1.02-1.05. A group ride or race might show 1.15-1.30. If your easy rides show a high VI, you are surging too much — aim to keep Zone 2 rides below 1.05 VI by riding steadily.
Use Intensity Factor for pacing decisions
IF is your NP divided by your FTP. For a four-hour sportive, aim for an IF of 0.70-0.75 (70-75% of FTP) to finish strong. For a one-hour time trial, IF should be 0.95-1.05. If your IF in the first hour of a long event exceeds 0.80, back off immediately — you are spending energy you will need later.
Use NP-based TSS for weekly load tracking
TSS is calculated from NP, not average power, which is why it better reflects the actual cost of variable rides. When planning your training week, the TSS derived from NP gives you an honest picture of accumulated fatigue. Trust the number even when average power looks deceptively low.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEUsing average power instead of NP to assess ride difficulty.
FIXAlways refer to NP when evaluating how hard a ride was physiologically. Average power is useful for steady efforts only. For anything with variability — group rides, races, hilly courses — NP is the relevant metric.
MISTAKEIgnoring NP during events and pacing only by feel.
FIXConfigure your head unit to display NP as a live field. Checking it periodically during a long event tells you whether your true metabolic cost is sustainable or whether you are burning matches you cannot replace.
MISTAKEComparing NP across riders without accounting for FTP differences.
FIXNP is an absolute number. Use Intensity Factor (NP/FTP) to compare relative effort between riders or between your own rides at different fitness levels.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is my NP always higher than my average power?

Because NP weights intensity surges disproportionately. Any variation in power — accelerating out of corners, climbing then descending, surging in a group — pushes NP above average power. The only time they are equal is during a perfectly steady effort like an indoor ERG mode session.

What is a good Variability Index?

For a time trial, aim for 1.02-1.05. For a well-paced sportive, 1.05-1.10 is reasonable. Road races and criteriums often produce a VI of 1.15-1.30 due to the constant surging. There is no universally 'good' VI — it depends on the event type.

Can I see Normalised Power on my Garmin during a ride?

Yes, most Garmin devices allow you to add NP as a data field. On Edge devices, add it via the data screens setup. It updates in real time and is one of the most useful pacing fields for long events. Wahoo and Hammerhead devices offer the same functionality.