Hyper-Specific FTPs: May ‘23
Hi there, it’s Tom and Emma with this month’s In-Form Newsletter!
Musings
This month, we want to talk briefly about the use of a single threshold power value within your training, which is something we’ve been asked about quite a bit lately.
Cyclists will commonly state, for example, their Functional Threshold Power (FTP) value to the nearest watt (e.g. 267W or 303W), i.e. a remarkable level of accuracy!
As much as a specific test protocol will indeed spit out a single value, the concept of pinning down your FTP to the nearest watt and using this religiously in your daily training is a little problematic…
FTP in particular can be defined in a number of different ways and fundamentally, it’s a performance measure - it assesses the power output you can generate on a given day, under given circumstances.
This power output can and will vary day to day and over the course of a ride, depending on variables such as fuelling, hydration, time of day, phase of menstrual cycle, fatigue levels, environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, altitude) and so on.
So the idea of having one fixed FTP value doesn’t make a great deal of sense.
In reality, cyclists have a threshold range or zone, which fluctuates often and will be higher towards the beginning of a ride, and gradually lower as muscle glycogen is depleted, and fatigue builds (in most cases). This variation of course also applies to other more physiologically-based threshold measures such the first and second lactate thresholds, and critical power.
Knowing this variation exists is key to pitching your training at the right intensity…
Importantly, it can help you be kinder to yourself on days where your threshold happens to be at the lower end of the range, and to make sense of the differences between your indoor and outdoor abilities, for example.
So, how do you know you’re working in the right intensity range without having a fixed FTP value?
Well, one part of it is paying close attention to your perceived effort or ‘RPE’!
Your breathing rate, the sensation in your legs, and what’s happening to your heart rate all tell you information about how hard you’re riding, and whether you’re above or below your threshold at any given time.
If you want to stay below your first threshold (e.g. within Zones 1 or 2 in a Five or Six Zone model), you should be able to easily hold a conversation, the effort level should feel comfortable and your heart rate should be largely stable (you might see a small amount of upward drift, but only 5-10bpm over several hours).
To stay below your second threshold (FTP/second lactate threshold), you should try to work at an intensity that feels challenging but sustainable for longer periods of time, and you should still be able to speak short sentences.
Stepping over the second threshold, you should notice an uptick in your breathing rate (so that it’s hard to speak even single words), and a more rapid escalation of your heart rate. The discomfort in your legs will grow minute-by-minute, and you’ll only be able to hold this workload for 15-20 minutes at most.
In summary, try to put a range around a calculated threshold for use in your daily workouts to help you not over or undercook the intensity of your training, and practice listening to your body!
News
For those living in the UK, we’re excited to report that we now have facility to offer physiological testing (e.g. VO2max, lactate and muscle oxygen saturation monitoring) in our new lab near Harrogate. Click here for more info.
We now have a wider range of free training plan samples available here.
Finally, we’ve been beavering away in the background to produce a new cycling nutrition guide, which will complement our existing range of guides and handbooks. This is nearly complete, so keep your eyes peeled for the launch in the next few weeks!
That’s it for this month. As always you can find our Cycling Physiology Guide and Hill Climb Handbook on our website too. For those that are already customers, we thank you greatly for your support and feedback!
All the best!
Tom & Emma
