How to FTP Test
FTP Testing
It’s that time of year again, when athletes decide they need to do some testing to set their training zones and ascertain their fitness.
What is FTP testing?
FTP testing is a way to determine your correct training intensities (whether you use power output or heart rate) and to establish, formally, your current fitness level. There’s a multitude of ways to test, and indeed we at CycleCoach suggest several options. However, for many athletes some form of FTP testing is required. This can be done as a 20ish minute all-out time trial effort, or as a 60ish minute all-out time trial effort. Additionally, the MAP test can also be used to estimate FTP and provide additional data, which can be extremely useful for road racers, crit racers, MTB XC, and track endurance riders.
What is the exact duration/distance I should use?
Different athletes will have different goals, different strengths and weaknesses, and thus it’s not a one size fits all, which is why I’ve suggested times that finish with “ish”. However, for clarity, when performing these tests, you should test within these ranges 20 to 30-mins, or 45 to 70-mins.
Should I go short or long FTP test?
It’ll very much depend on your goals, and your psychology. I, personally, much prefer to test around 60-mins. Others prefer to put down a harder, and shorter 20ish minute effort. Once you decide on a duration, you should stay with this for most of your testing throughout the year. Last year I completed multiple 50ish minute efforts, and just one 20-minute test. You may want to do it the other way around… Some athletes will test over a fixed distance. Others over a fixed time.
Indoors or Outdoors?
Again, this may be dependent upon your personal circumstance, and the types of roads or trails you have nearby. Personally, due, to the types of roads I have nearby, both their rolling nature, the traffic, and stop/give way junctions, I find it best to smack out my efforts indoors on Zwift, riding Alpe du Zwift. You might have better outdoor options, or indeed prefer to test while riding a 10-mile or 25-mile TT.
Who Is it For?
Want to get fitter? Smash your mates, the race or your event? Then testing is for you. Sure, it’s about as much fun as having an elephant walk all over you, but to set your zones, and assess your fitness you’ll need to put down a solid marker. FTP testing is extremely relevant for
Time triallers
Triathletes
Road racers
Gran Fondo racers
Ultra endurance cyclists
MTB XC racers
Sportive riders
Those wanting to get fitter
Sciencey bit
Contrary to popular opinion, whether you test over 20 or 60-mins you’re not ascertaining your lactate threshold. Both of these durations are significantly greater (in terms of power output) than your lactate threshold. Neither are you testing your anaerobic threshold — anaerobic means without oxygen, and you’re aerobic up to VO2max (by definition) and VO2max is significantly greater than 20/60-min power. And, you’re not being constrained by lactate that is accumulating in your blood. In fact the opposite is true — that is, as exercise intensity increases, lactate (not lactic acid) is produced which is used as a fuel source (substrate) to fuel the exercise. Without the lactate you would fatigue at a faster rate…
At the end of the 1990s, Dr Andrew Coggan, coined the phrase ‘functional threshold power’ (FTP) which, essentially, is the maximal power that can be sustained for around 1 hour (say 45 to 75 minutes depending on the athlete). Your FTP is not 95% of your 20-minute power — this is just a very rough and ready estimation and is no more correct than your FTP is 75% of your MAP, of which neither are correct!
Setting Zones
Once you’ve tested and found out your 20 or 60 (ish) minute power you’ll have a current baseline level of one aspect of your fitness. Other aspects of fitness include your maximal aerobic power (MAP) which is determined by a ramp test, and is closely related to your VO2max, and your peak (5-sec) sprint power. You may also want to know your ‘anaerobic’ power (such as your 60-sec power), but all these will depend on you, and your goals, as well as your fitness and health.
However, once you have that power you can use our calculator here to ascertain your training zones based on either 20-min (MMP-20), or 60-min (FTP) power (the calculator also works if you have your MAP as well!). If you don’t have power and you’re relying on heart rate then click here.
Unsure how to test, then why not book in for testing here, or give me a shout and I’ll personally answer any questions you have.