Physiological Report: Bike Functional Threshold Power Test

Transcription

1 Physiological Report: Bike Functional Threshold Power Test Name: Date: A.Sample 16/01/2015 Report compiled by: Mr Tom Topham (Bsc) Sports Scientist Thanyapura 120/1 Moo 7, Thepkasattri Rd., Thepkasattri, Thalang, Phuket 83110, Thailand T: +66 (0)

2 The Test Client Details Height (cm) Weight (kg) Gender Sport Race Distance Date Time Location Test Description Protocol Consultant Male Cycling Short Laboratory Details 16/01/ :00 Sports Science Lab Computrainer Studio Bike FTP 20 minute TT Tom Topham Why take the test? Regular assessments of your FTP can provide an indication of performance improvement and a functional landmark from which training zones can be set. With an accurate record of your FTP, you can tailor your future training programme to your exact fitness level. This will provide training guidelines based on accurate and reliable physiological data, removing guesswork from your training. Test Description: Included 3 parts: part 1 was a warm up of 10 min; part 2 was a 5 minute maximum effort; part 3 included a 20 minute cycling time trial to determine functional threshold power. Power, cadence and heart rate were recorded during exercise. Functional Threshold Power Functional threshold power (FTP) is an intensity that represents the highest possible power output that can be sustained for a one hour time trial. As a one hour all out time trial is extremely tough to successfully complete, methods are used to calculate this number from a shorter maximum effort. The most practical and accessible method to measure FTP is to perform a 20 minute cycling time trial and multiply the result by 0.95 (95%). Functional Threshold Heart Rate The test will also provide a measure of your functional threshold heart rate (FTHR). This parameter is especially beneficial to athletes who do not train with power meters as heart rate training zones can be set. It is important to note that heart rate data has a higher tendency to fluctuate depending on external factors including caffeine intake, temperature, training status, hydration etc.

3 Results and Analysis 20 min TT Average Power (W) Functional Threshold Power (W) Funtional Threshold Power (W/kg) Functional Threshold Heart Rate Zone Heart Rate Power (W) min max min max 1 Recovery Endurance Tempo Sweetspot Threshold VO2max 182 max Anaerobic Training Zones Explained Active Recovery - Intensity of effort should be very low as riding is intended to physically and mentally recover. Active recovery promotes blood circulation through the muscles, to flush out metabolic waste products, accumulated from previous training or competition. Endurance - Targets your aerobic system, which requires oxygen to metabolise carbohydrate (glycogen) and fat for energy. Zone represents your all day pace. Effort level should be comfortable and can be sustained for 2/3 hours or more. Tempo Targets your aerobic system at a higher intensity, typical intensity of a brisk group ride. Training in this zone can be sustained for minutes depending on your ability and training status. The effort level should feel more uncomfortable but consistent. Threshold Just below or above TT effort taking into account duration, fitness level, environmental conditions etc. The effort level should feel hard and require motivation to sustain. Sessions can be broken down into multiple repeats of minutes. VO2max - Targets your maximal aerobic capacity (maximum amount of oxygen you can take in and utilise by the muscles) or VO2max. Effort level is very high and can only be sustained for short periods of time. Interval training is well suited for VO2max training, repeated efforts should be short (3-8 minutes) with equal to or half the effort time for recovery. Anaerobic Capacity Short (30 seconds 3 minutes) high intensity intervals designed to increase anaerobic capacity. Heart rate not useful to guide due to the non-steady nature of effort. Severe sensation of fatigue and conversation is not possible. Sub Threshold or 'SweetSpot' Training: Training in the lower part of the threshold zone (zone 4) is referred to as sweetspot training. Although it is not a training zone itself it is a great way to improve and build upon your FTP score. To supplement training, sweetspot sessions can be incooperated into a programme once or twice every 2 weeks.

4 Power (W) Power (W/kg) Training Status Test Date 16/01/15 Retest Retest Retest FTP (W) 182 Body Mass (kg) FTP (W/kg) 3.26 FTHR (BPM) FTP (W) FTP (W/Kg) Retesting: Functional Threshold Power testing will be of more benefit when repeated over time. As an indication I recommend you are retested after 6-8 weeks to monitor improvements in performance. Your FTP correlates with your current level of fitness so will change as your fitness improves. This will affect your training zones, which will need to be reset to maintain accuracy. 0 16/01/15 Retest Retest Retest Test 0.00 Power to Weight Ratio It is important to consider your power to weight ratio when interpreting your FTP results. This number is the amount of power you produce in Watts (W) divided by your body weight in kilograms (kg). Put simply the higher your power to weight ratio is the faster you will go, which is not necessarily true when considering absolute power alone. The table below shows normative power to weight ratio for both male and females. Category Below Average Average Cyclist/Triathlete Competetive Cyclist/Triathlete Club Cyclist/Pro Triathlete Elie Pro Cyclist Male < Female <

5 Future Training Recommendations Training to Improve Your FTP To improve your functional threshold power you need to train at a specific intensity based on your own results. These sessions require dedication and focus, best suited to individual training on the turbo trainer or on a flat looped course. Example FTP training session: 10 minute warm up with bursts up to FTP 20 85% FTP 4 minutes recovery below 50% of FTP 20 85% FTP 6 minutes cool down spinning at 100 rpm If you do not have a power meter perform these sessions at a % of your functional threshold heart rate (keep in mind that your heart rate can fluctuate more depending on training conditions). Monitor your progress by doing this workout once every week or 10 days. If you want to make the session harder, cut the rest interval by one minute per week. After three weeks, follow with a recovery week then increase the effort (90% of FTP) and reinstate the 4 minute recovery period. Improving Power to Weight Ratio Improving your power to weight ratio can be done by: 1. Increasing absolute power 2. Decreasing body weight Losing weight as a means of improving the ratio is not recommended unless clearly overweight. Dieting to attain an ideal cycling weight can be very counterproductive, often leading to illness and injury. The best option is to focus on optimising power whilst balancing diet and weight. Weight loss can usually be achieved naturally by a structured and progressive training program. By focusing on training to maximise power and increasing lean muscle mass, power to weight ratio can be optimised.