Is Your FTP Actually Accurate?

[@gtn]

Do you train using a powermeter? Let us know 👇

[@atlantaswelder]

Yes i do! ZWIFT🔥🔥🔥🔥 - i.Weld [27/7]

[@mikoajmach2728]

yes powertap and ftp 341

[@radhakrishnasrk1955]

Yes 🎉

[@kerrynball2734]

Addition of Phil makes this more relatable for us normal weekend warriors. Entertaining video, well done

[@foleyc6]

One of us! Thanks phil!

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Thanks guys - your commitment to suffering to bring us this video is appreciated. Especially Phil, who isn't paid to do this. 🥵

[@marie-louisekarlander2366]

Finally this video, have been checking every day for two weeks I think for this video. 😃💪👏 Great work of you. I actually did not expect that it’s possible to hold the FTP for one hour. I done the 20 min test several times. My FTP is 215 . I think it’s working good for my workouts. The level of the intervals become right. But I don’t believe I can hold it for one hour. Never tried. However.. my Garmin watch often suggest new FTP , and than I get p…ed 😠cause it’s lower often 209w . But that I can probably hold for one hour. So depends how you look at it and what is the use for it. ( Sorry for my English, probably many faults) Thank you for doing this video. I was curious about it. Marie-Louise

[@philray4794]

James is just an animal on the indoor. 💪 when he raced during lockdown he was always in the mix! #stillabeast

[@pjsdk3]

That was impressive! I do the ramp test when I want to boost my ego because its normally 20 - 30 watts higher than my 20 min test. The 20 min test seems to be pretty accurate as I aim just below that for my Olympic distance bike power. Hoping to go sub 1 hour split this year

[@panzerveps]

In my experience the ramp and 20 minute test give roughly the same ftp.

[@Jon-lf2dj]

Great advice at the end: use the ramp test first...then you have a better idea how to pace the 20 test.

[@MrBrunoRenee]

Cool video, thanks

[@marcuswills6569]

I did my own comparison a while back and carried out a ramp test, 20min test and then a full hour (as part of an Olympic distance Tri). All 3 came out within 4watts of each other. Ramp test was by the far the most painful, as it takes you to complete exhaustion/fatigue, whereas the other two you ride at a sustained threshold but manageable effort.

[@olindamedia]

Seems for training it's more important to know where lactate threshold is than 1 hour power. That's where 20 minutes seems to be a good estimation as it primarily stimulates a maximum sustained effort for long enough for lactate accumulation to count without inducing other kinds of fatigue.

[@veydajar]

If you have $300 to spare - just get a lactate meter and build a full profile curve. Takes guesswork out of the equation, and a much better use of money than a fancy jersey or shoes.

[@PI_84_CA]

i find there is a very noticeable difference in the watts i can hold on and off erg mode. It makes me wonder which is more accurate since I do not have a power metre for outdoor rides to compare with..

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Interesting! Maybe you could repeat that with lactate measurement? I recently did a lab test with lactate measurement and the FTP that came out of that was disappointingly low. I think I could ride that for the whole day and it made me read into the topic a bit more. Like the "power you can hold for an hour" the 4 mmol of lactate are an assumption and some people will settle into a higher or lower steady state. But what is the best to derive your training zones from?

[@magnusbonde7812]

Since about a year ago a primarily do an 1h test, feels more accurate when it comes to endurance efforts

[@mimi_micha8815]

Same here. And the suffering is brutal. We like brutal. 😅

[@Blaze16159]

Are you guys going to be at the Miami triathlon today? I will be watching on the television and want to watch out for you guys.

[@MaartenCaminada]

Good stuff, if you enjoy watching people suffer. Why did you use ERG-mode for the full hour instead of riding free? And how do these numbers compare to your professional FTP-values? Anyway, nice work and usefull caveats for those doing their first test.

[@martinandrews2860]

Maybe I missed it. What recovery period did you each have between test day and the hour day. If it was equal no wonder the ramp test performed better (I know what does better mean etc) but if u carry fatigue into the hour u r doomed.

[@maryskelcher8979]

I wondered whether pedalling efficiency affects your ability to turn a 20 min effort into an hour?

[@paulodonoghue509]

Echo the kudos to Phil!

[@xyz123-n9m]

Most likely, Filippo Ganna, the one-hour record holder, is the only one who knows his real FTP.

[@miguelsaez340]

He probably can hold higher power up a climb rather than in a velodrome and a track bike

[@87togabito]

Not really. FTP is a theoretical max value assuming that your body is in its best state, and working in the perfect condition; i.e. there is literally no way you should be able to hold that in reality for an hour in reality. That said, you still need that value to decide your training efforts.

[@dylanhunt5368]

science, nice!

[@discreetknight]

So should one go hard/flat out on the “flat out 5 min” before the 20 min test?

[@jamiefuhrman403]

Yes as the 20min test is supposed to measure power while slightly fatigued. If you take the 5min too easy, you will inflate your 20min number.

[@discreetknight]

For clarity: Yes - Hard? or Yes - Flat? out As one is sort of zone 4 while the other is zone 5+

[@Jon-lf2dj]

If you do a full-on 5min test first, then use 100% of your 20min for FTP (vs. 95%). It's generally more accurate since you burn off some of your anaerobic capability.

[@douglasbooth6836]

My inside ftp test says im ace. No way inside i could hold that power for an hour. Outside i can hold more.

[@MichaelWilliams-iv6dj]

Kudos for putting yourselves through hell for our entertainment. I would never try that indoors. On the other hand, trying to set your best time on an hour long steady climb is pretty much the definition of an FTP test. I live near such a climb. Oh boy those last 5 minutes are hard

[@jonathanzappala]

The important thing in not caring about your ftp, is to do the test fatigued. The whole point is to get training zones, and you’re not resting for freshness days before each workout. I’m saying don’t set yourself up for failure by reaching for a high number, but an average number.

[@FiguringOut50s]

good comment. my coach had me do a big effort on the bike 4 days before the test (4x7.5 minutes@predicted ftp with :90 sec rest), then trained for 2 days that included some swim threshold and a longer run, and one easier day the before the ftp test. I went into it fatigued and I think it gave me better training data than just a flat out higher number would have given me if I had tapered for it. he also uses 30 minutes as the test, then takes .5 off that and it's pretty spot on for what I can hold for an hour.

[@MggW]

An interesting video, and I wish I could achieve a 300W FTP on my best fitness, let alone me my lowest! You mention in passing how fitness can affect you ability to hold FTP. How can I train to improve my ability to hold FTP? #gtncoachescorner

[@chroniclesofalazyriderbyde9504]

Done the 60mins FTP twice over the past 4yrs under my coach... two things I learnt from it... the 20mins is not even close to the 95% estimate of your FTP. It's more like 75%. And secondly, damn... you will get jelly legs for sure... simply painful.... lol

[@ralzalychhoeng7893]

i take a personal definition to FTP meaning my functional power should be "functional" over specific periods of time based on the duration of the race. I like to break down FTP into 2 functional parts: 1. Power Profile (15s/30s/1-min/3-min/5-min/10-min/20-min) -I use this profile to gauge segment efforts and segment efforts only. i.e. climbs, sprints, breakaways, bridging, etc. I find for myself that that is when these numbers are the most useful. 2. Race Pace (1-hour/2-hour/4-hour efforts) -This is my functional power where i feel the most comfortable sustaining without burning ANY matches (or at least slowly burn). This is typically my zone 3 or tempo effort (Basically you can either move down to Z1/Z2 for recovery or punch up Z4/Z5 for efforts). It's hard enough that I can keep up with pace groups but also allow me to tap into any part of my "functional power profile" based on the segment. For me, it's been just a massive strategy i use especially in Zwift races.

[@suncuevas1238]

❤

[@ironman140.6]

Mark, Mark, Mark....

[@markthrelfall3577]

I'm sorry... 😔