【 Bicycle Classroom 】 What is FTP?
Bicycle 【 Cycling Classroom 】 What is FTP? The most critical data for Power training: Functional Threshold Power (Functional Threshold Power) For power training, FTP (Functional Threshold Power, Chinese translation of "functional threshold value")
The most critical data for Power training: Functional Threshold Power
For Power training, FTP (Functional Threshold Power, Chinese translation of "functional threshold power") can be regarded as a crucial data, the famous bicycle and triathlon coach Qiao Frei once said: "Most of the data from the power meter is based on FTP, and if you don't detect the correct FTP, a lot of the data won't be trusted to you." Indeed, the various data or training intervals talked about in the power training theory will basically be related to FTP, so of course, we must first understand its significance, and then we can be able to figure out other relevant data.
FTP in self-training refers to the highest power output that can be maintained in a steady state for about one hour without fatigue. This term was proposed by the world-renowned power training master Dr. Andrew Coggan, mainly to make it easier for cyclists and coaches to know how much power their lactate threshold can output in practice, and since then FTP has become an important indicator of the aerobic capacity of cyclists.
The human body produces lactic acid at any time, whether it is riding slowly or tramping at high speed, the body will produce lactic acid, but as long as the intensity does not exceed the "critical value", the body can expel it in time. When the riding intensity exceeds the critical value, the amount of lactic acid produced will continue to increase, and the mechanism of the body's elimination of lactic acid will also be enhanced, so that the concentration of lactic acid in the body will maintain a dynamic balance; However, when the strength continues to increase, so that the amount of lactic acid produced exceeds the load of the elimination mechanism, resulting in dynamic balance cannot be maintained, and lactic acid will accumulate in large quantities. A large buildup of lactic acid can cause a rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, affect muscle contraction and make muscles feel tired, which affects athletic performance.
We can think of the body as a funnel with a small hole at the bottom, when you slowly fill the water, the water will not accumulate in the funnel but immediately out of the hole, but when the speed of water faster than the speed of drainage, the container will begin to collect water, the moment of water, the amount of water in the container is the critical point of your lactic acid accumulation, exercise physiologists call it the "lactic acid threshold". In theory, it can be just about an hour under FTP, and as long as the power exceeds FTP for a period of time, the lactic acid in the body will accumulate rapidly, and the time that can be maintained will be shortened; On the contrary, when stepping below the FTP value, it can be maintained for a relatively long time, and the farther away from the FTP, the longer the time can be maintained.
FTP can be said to be one of the indicators of aerobic capacity of cyclists, the higher the FTP players usually have better performance (but also depends on the athlete's own physiological conditions and the type of competition), so for endurance cycling and triathlon players, the training goal is to constantly improve the value of FTP; World-class cyclists generally have at least 360~400W FTP capability, Ironman 226km top professional players, FTP is about 340~360W, while the average amateur cyclists FTP usually falls near 250~320W.
------This article and pictures are from reprint.
