Threshold power is the key to a successful cyclist. Climbers, time-trial experts, and sprinters all need strong threshold power if they want to win any race.
Of course, a highly-trained aerobic system, tactical acumen, VO2 max, and sprinting prowess also matter. But if you don’t want to get dropped by the leaders, then having a high threshold power is imperative.
If you’re a road cyclist who wants to improve your performance, then threshold power is key.
- Threshold power is the ability to produce a high level of power for an extended period of time.
- This is the power that you need to maintain if you want to stay with the leaders in a race.
- To increase your threshold power, you need to focus on aerobic training and improving your power output at threshold power.
There are several terms for threshold power: critical threshold power, functional threshold power, anaerobic threshold, or lactate threshold. Often, it simply means that you can continue for about an hour when you ride at a certain speed.
But if you ride just a bit quicker, your legs will burn up within minutes.
So what are the secrets to boosting your threshold power?
Threshold Power and Training: No Quick Fix
Training with high intensity boosts your ability to exercise without accumulating lactic acid. This physiological skill is often the principal asset of any endurance athlete, so learning to increase your threshold power will ultimately make you a strong and better rider.
But I believe the real secret to becoming a great endurance athlete is consistency. You have to work hard, be focused, and be consistent over SEVERAL YEARS to build the necessary endurance to reach your potential. Most professional athletes have more than ten years of serious endurance training behind them, which highlights why they are probably better than most.
Benefits of Interval Training
The most popular method of improving your threshold power is via interval training. It is crucial to know your power output and heart rate at threshold power and use these values to pace yourself throughout intervals at the same intensity. You will have to do a test or a time trial as a reference.
The trickiest part of doing intervals is to remain at the right intensity throughout. Going a bit too fast at the start makes it impossible to maintain the right power to the end. On the other hand, if you go too slowly, you will not get aimed improvements.
Yes, threshold power intervals are extremely tough, but they effectively build a bombproof aerobic system. Intervals are also great for becoming more adept at pacing for time trials or breakaways.
I believe that threshold power and VO2 max intervals are the two best and most time-effective ways to boost your performance. But high-intensity intervals only benefit you when you finish them. If you fail to maintain the correct intensity during the session, the effectiveness is limited. So common sense suggests you will achieve more effective training if you select an intensity with a higher success rate.
In my experience, the success rate of high-intensity intervals is lower than sub-maximum intensity intervals.
But these sub-threshold power intervals can still offer excellent improvements.
There is a physiological sweet spot to train at a high oxygen consumption without going anaerobic. Thus, you will offer a boost to your aerobic system (and almost nothing to your anaerobic performance).
There is no one magic formula. But, generally, training load (time x intensity), the successful ratio of intervals, and consistency are the three main methods of improving threshold power.
Although every cyclist is different and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, I passionately believe that a combination of VO2 max and threshold power interval training is compulsory for professional and elite riders to reach their 100% potential.
How is Functional Threshold Power used in training?
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is used as a predictor of race performance and as a benchmark for training intensity. When used correctly, it can help cyclists structure their training in a way that will improve performance. For example, if your goal is to increase your FTP by 10%, you would base your training workouts around this number.
A word of caution: It’s important not to get too fixated on FTP numbers. While they can be helpful in tracking progress, every cyclist is different so don’t compare yourself to others. Also, remember that FTP tests are just one snapshot in time. Your FTP will fluctuate depending on factors like fatigue, stress, and motivation levels.
Functional threshold power is a useful metric for road cyclists to understand because it can be used to predict race performance and structure training workouts. However, it’s important not to get too caught up in the numbers and to remember that each cyclist is different.