As we age, our bodies change, and our ability to perform physical activities declines. However, that doesn't mean we can't continue to pursue our athletic goals. With the right training and mindset, masters athletes in their 40s and 50s (and older) can still achieve significant improvements in their cycling performance, specifically their Functional Threshold Power (FTP).

In this article, we'll explore how to train to increase your bike FTP for masters athletes in their 40s and 50s. We'll cover the best training methods, nutrition strategies, and recovery techniques to help you maximise your performance on the bike and reach your goals.

Understanding FTP and Why it Matters.
FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power, which is the maximum amount of power that a cyclist can sustain for approximately one hour (the range is usually around 40 to 70-minutes). Understanding your FTP is essential for effective training, as it provides a benchmark for setting goals and tracking progress. FTP is an important metric for cyclists because it directly correlates to endurance performance. In general (and while this isn’t absolutely, specifically correct) the higher your FTP the fitter you’re likely to be.

Best Training for Increasing your FTP
While there is no one “best” exercise for every athlete, the general idea is that you’ll need to do sessions that are either just below your FTP, at your FTP, or just above it to specifically ramp up your FTP. This can vary from doing MIET efforts at 90% of FTP for longish periods of time (total work time from 20 - 180-minutes) through to efforts at FTP (TTIs) that have a total work time from 15 to 60-minutes) through to MAP efforts that are around 115 to 130% of FTP (with a total work time of several minutes to 20-minutes). Often, an athlete may need to do more than one type and may need one to three of these tough sessions each week, depending on their goals, starting fitness, and what sort of workload they can tolerate. You should however incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your workouts for most of the year (use it or lose it). MIET training helps build endurance and lactate threshold and this should also be included regularly.

Endurance Rides
Additionally, as well as the above higher intensity intervals, athletes will also need to incorporate significant amounts of endurance training. This may vary from one or two long rides each week especially for (peri)-menopausal female athletes to more of these for male athletes. The exact amount will depend on a variety of factors from age, gender, health, and current fitness levels, as well as how much time you have to cycle and your other life responsibilities. It’s worth noting that for female athletes undergoing menopause the evidence suggests more high intensity work with less endurance work may be more beneficial.

Nutrition Strategies for Improving Performance
As we age, we need to take greater care of our nutritional needs. This is especially apparent for female athletes, but also of significant importance for male athletes. Both men and women start to have declines in hormones and subsequent recovery and it’s therefore important to maximise nutrition for health and performance.

Protein and carbohydrates are extremely important and upping protein intake is crucial. This helps prevent age related loss of muscle (sarcopenia), maintains muscle mass, and also has a positive effect on body composition. Carbohydrate intake also needs to be well maintained, and fat intake should not drop below 10% of total energy (food) intake. Further details are in our recent blog post here.

It’s crucial to plan in snacks and recovery meals prior to and after training to aid recovery and help make physiological adaptations. There may be a place for carbohydrate fasted training, but by and large I’d suggest that being well-fuelled is more important. Consider supplementing with protein powder (post training), electrolytes (during), and/or caffeine (pre and post training).

Recovery
One aspect of training that is often overlooked and misunderstood is recovery. We often neglect this aspect, but without good recovery we can find it difficult to be at our best or at a good level for the next training session. While nutrition and hydration have the largest effect on recovery, sleep and rest are extremely important. As we age we need better quality sleep and being short on it can have a negative effect on training. Additional recovery training includes range of motion training - with blog articles here and here which can help prevent or lessen stiff joints/backs/shoulders/legs/etc as well as meditation and yoga. I used to think that some of this was a bit of “hokum” but as I approach my mid-50s (nooooooo!) I’ve realised the importance of this type of training (for my stiff back, shoulders and neck!). Range of motion and foam rolling can help reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility.

How frequently should I train for increasing FTP?
This will vary on your time availability as well as your fitness starting point and your goals. However, you will generally need at least 4 training days per week, where one of those days is some sort of high intensity interval style workout. Some riders will do 6 or 7 days a week. It’s also vital that you add in some strength training on top of this to build power, strength, and increase lean muscle mass.

Is it safe to perform high intensity exercise in my 40’s/50’s/60’s and older?
If you haven’t seen your doctor for a while or had a health check up then this is worthwhile doing so prior to starting an exercise regime. In general it’s fine to undertake maximal exercise, but you shouldn’t rush in if you haven’t exercised for a while, or been a smoker, or have health issues. Always check with your GP first.
Conclusion:

Training for increased bike FTP as a masters athlete in your 40s and 50s requires a smart and strategic approach. By incorporating high-intensity interval training, tempo training, and endurance rides, along with proper nutrition and recovery techniques, you can maximize your performance on the bike and achieve your goals.

Ready to take your cycling performance to the next level? Contact CycleCoach today for personalised training plans, nutrition advice, and recovery strategies. Let our experienced coaches help you increase your bike FTP and achieve your cycling goals. Don't let age hold you back - start your journey towards a stronger, faster, and more confident ride now!