Functional Threshold Power: FTP Cycling Test
What Is FTP In Cycling?
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is a cycling metric that we all know in the cycling community. It’s probably the first thing you learned about when you desired getting faster on the bike. In this article we’re going to break it all down so that you know what Cycling FTP is, and answer the big questions:
What is FTP in cycling?
How do you calculate FTP?
What is an average FTP for most cyclists?
How can I test FTP in cycling for calculating FTP?
There is no doubt that your cycling FTP, or Functional Threshold Power, is the most talked about metric in cycling, and for many reasons. The main reasons we talk about it is that it’s a huge determinant of your performance. While a higher FTP doesn’t necessarily mean you will outperform someone with a lower FTP, it is a good gauge of one’s ability.
Another reason we talk about FTP so much is that Functional Threshold Power in cycling is a measure of fitness that you can get a good estimate of without going into a lab. The number is accessible to everyone via the many FTP tests available to us.
Remember though: it’s just ONE measure of fitness.
Secondly, everyone compares watts per kg and fiends for a cycling FTP of 5.0 w/kg. We’ll show you how to calculate your FTP below. 2024 Update: Tadej Pogačar is breaking everyone’s brain and 6w/kg is becoming the old 5. Mind boggling stuff.
From a cycling coach’s standpoint, FTP isn’t the first thing I go after with most athletes. Sure, I could send them through an FTP building program, boost their number up 20-30 points, and make them feel good.
However, this might not lead to an improvement in the real world. Can they handle the surges during a threshold type effort? Can they hit big watts @ VO2 and THEN drill it? What about the 1 minute selection…are they even in the ballpark with the lead group?
Most cyclists need to slow down and ride more endurance miles, learn how to improve the repeatability of the watts they currently have, AND THEN stack the FTP cycling intervals on top of that.
There are a million ways to train, but in this article focused on FTP Tests, Functional Threshold Power and cycling training, we’ll look at the ways in which you can determine your FTP calculation, how to calculate your FTP, and most importantly: get faster.
FTP Meaning For Cycling
So many words get thrown around in this discussion: lactate threshold, maximal lactate steady state, threshold, FTP. In many articles, the terms used are specifically defined because there are so many of them when we’re talking about how hard can you go before you realize you’re going too hard (your threshold).
From Training and Racing With A Power Meter, “Your FTP calculation is the highest power that a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing.”
Is FTP 20 or 60 minutes? There seems to be some confusion on exactly how long FTP power actually is. Some athletes have come to us thinking that FTP is your best 20-minute power. To clarify, the classic 20-minute effort is a test to estimate FTP (which is approximately what you could do for 60 minutes).
Over the past few years, it seems like there’s been much more utilization of short tests and ramp tests and many will never try to pin it for an hour. I like the hour test, it’s hard and you get a great workout from it. While I don’t think it’s necessary for calculating FTP, you can use it. There should also be some interval sessions that last nearly an hour, but that’s for another blog.
Training Peaks and WKO4, and now WKO5 software, allows you to enter a value for FTP that will affect your Intensity Factor and TSS per ride, which therefore affects your Chronic Training Load (CTL) and Acute Training Load (ATL). With all of these metrics related, it’s clear to see why having an accurate FTP number is extremely important for the big picture of training; not only to set accurate zones, but so that the metrics collected after each ride are accurate. How deep in the box did you really go on that last training ride? What type of fatigue did it produce? Does it match up with your RPE feelings?
It would be foolish to write an article on this topic without linking to Andy Coggan’s article which can be read here. This article does leave out some ways to determine your FTP, so let’s keep moving forward and discuss some pro’s and con’s of the different tests.
See Also: Understanding Power Meter Data
What’s A Good Cycling FTP?
What is a good FTP for a cyclist? A lot of cyclists crave 4 w/kg, and bike racers chase 5 w/kg, but what is a realistic goal for the amateur cyclist?
Ultimately, it’s all relative! If your new to cycling, you might actually have a killer FTP compared to those who’ve been training for the same amount of time (and it’s only going to get bigger with a proper training program).
When looking at average power for one hour, a Category 3 cyclist should look to hit 3.5 w/kg, with 20 minute power at 3.7 w/kg.
A category 2 cyclist should aim for 4.1 w/kg for 1 hour power and 4.3 w/kg for 20 minute power.
The issue with the numbers for a Cat 2 is that they often have to race Cat 1’s, who aim for 4.7 w/kg for 1 hour and 5 w/kg for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, domestic pro’s are hitting 5.5 w/kg for 20 minutes and the World Tour racers are over 6-7 w/kg! Maybe more by the time you read this!
So, if you can ride at 3.5-4 w/kg for 1 hour and 3.8-4.2 w/kg for 20 minutes, you’re going to be a pretty good cyclist!
How To Calculate Your FTP
To calculate FTP, you can do a 20-minute all out effort and take 95% of that number to get FTP. You can also derive FTP from a 40-60 minute maximal effort from a time trial or race. The one issue with race data is that it won’t be steady state, or even quasi steady state, so I don’t love that. Programs like WKO5 also have algorithms to help calculate FTP.
FTP Lab Test
Go into a lab, have someone record the different lactate levels, understand the different m/mmoL levels, and provide you with your FTP calculation. This is not flawless however. You are measuring lactate in the blood, which is not the exact same as lactate production rates. Your lactate clearing rates also affect these readings, as well as the methods used by the tester.
If you have easy access to this, and can repeatedly do it, go for it! But I wouldn’t go out of your way to do this just to find out your Functional Threshold Power.
We’re not going to dive into this, because if you’re going to a lab, you should be getting a VO2Max test done instead, and the other ways are much easier to complete and reproduce. Even with VO2Max training, you want to have the same person testing you or there can be variations to this.
How to Calculate ftp from The 20 Minute FTP Test
How do you calculate FTP on a 20-minute test? Most take their 20 minute max average wattage and multiply is by 95%, and set that as their 20 minute FTP test calculation. This is probably the gold standard for knowing how to calculate your FTP for most amateur cyclists, although most do this FTP test incorrectly.
According to Coggan, for an FTP test you need a 5 minute ALL OUT effort before the 20 minute test. This burns off any anaerobic contributions that you are providing towards the number, and truly hones in on what watts you can aerobically produce.
The 20 minute FTP test will seem very long to newer cyclists who should only be doing 30 minutes or less of threshold in a one training session. However, as you progress, you’ll learn how to teach yourself to focus for much longer sweet spot or low threshold efforts, which can then correlate to longer threshold efforts.
Pros: easy to complete in terms of frequency of testing, ability for the athlete to mentally go ham for 20 minutes, and pretty dummy proof. Also, this is just great training for learning how hard you can push for a solid duration of time.
Cons: incorrectly testing by blowing up or leaving too much in the tank, athletes’ tendency to inflate their number because they “felt like I could have gone harder” but for some reason didn’t or using old data for current training periods.
Sidenote: if you haven’t read our review on the Airofit Breathing Trainer, check it out. It has massively helped me on all FTP and VO2Max efforts!
1 Hour Normalized Power for FTP
This one is relatively new, and I’m not a huge fan of it because it allow for a ton of anaerobic contributions to the number.
All you do is take your 1 hour normalized power from a race or really hard group ride.
I would be leery about this one because most athletes have a higher 1 hour normalized power that is higher than their FTP.
This is a great tool to use as an upper limit for FTP! You know that you aren’t any higher than this number, or if you really think that you are, spend a weekend ride going apeshit crazy and trying to normalize your FTP.
8 Minute FTP Test
I just want to start by saying that I strongly dislike the 8 minute FTP test.
How to calculate your FTP with the 8 Minute FTP test? Go as hard as you can for 8 minutes and multiply by 0.90.
It is utilized for newer cyclists that can’t handle a 20 minute test due to the duration. I would much rather see you do the exact opposite and just try to ride hard for 20 minute. You’ll grow so much from that experience, and even if it takes you 2-3 tries to get the FTP number truly dialed, it’s just a way better process.
Or, use the 1 hour normalized power from a hard group ride where you’re almost getting dropped. Take 95% of this number. Let’s move away from the 8 minute FTP cycling test.
mFTP
What is FTP cycling? Well, another question, what is mFTP in cycling!?
This is the value that is calculated by WKO4 or WKO5. Even the product managers will warn you though that mFTP is just a tool and not a definitive guide.
If your power duration curve is not completely up to date with maximum efforts, the mFTP number (and other metrics such as FRC, TTE, Stamina) will not be correct.
Use this as a guide, but not a definitive cycling FTP.
1 Hour Time Trial for FTP
Lots of athletes hate this, but I love it. Sure, I’m biased being a more TT-based all-around cyclist, because I enjoy these long efforts much more than short anaerobic or max aerobic ones.
I also enjoy these because this type of testing is training for my role on my team. I’m often off the front in an early ALL DAY BREAK.
Any cat 1-3 cyclist should be making these attempts. It’s going to shed some interesting insights into your capabilities for longer sustained efforts, but also give you a dialed-in idea of what your aerobic capability is.
Take note of your Time Trial heart rate response...if HR never levels off, you’re above aerobic capacity and using anaerobic power. If it stays relatively steady, you’ve got things dialed and looking good.
Pros: literally the test you are trying to estimate for.
Cons: hard to push this long aerobically, hard to focus, hard to find long stretches of the open road for many.
Histogram of Watts
When you look at a chart of the histogram of watts in 10W increments from a road race or really hard training session, there is usually a clear fall off, or cliff, which indicates where your FTP is.
This method can be spot on unless they aren’t good at pushing their limits, or a highly anaerobic rider might skew the results, so just like the 1 hour normalized power, you need to be careful about only using this method for FTP testing.
Trainer Road Ramp Test for FTP
The popular online training program, Trainer Road, has athletes complete a ramp test where you follow a specific wattage that is provided on your computer, and then it takes 75% of your max 1-minute effort. My thoughts on this are similar to the 8-minute test: while it may be accurate to set your zones, why not teach yourself to start riding harder, for longer, by doing a 20-minute test, and then graduating to the 1-hour test.
Short FTP Tests
There’s a trend here: shortening the FTP test from the original one hour.
Let’s consider this: what is the point of this shorter test?
To suffer less!
This whole sport is about suffering, so why not use this opportunity to learn if you’re bad at suffering, because maybe it’s your mental game that needs work, not your legs.
We’re can be so caught up in the metrics that we forget that for many, the cycling training is for on the road or on the gravel improvement. That said, if we’re taking all these shortcuts for metric’s sake and simply finding our FTP to set your training zones, I think we’re really missing the point.
Learning to deal with the anxiety and stress of a big cycling test coming up is paramount to doing well at events. If some of our training sessions aren’t making us anxious at breakfast, then they aren’t hard enough!
If we train through some stressful workouts and get small wins, it’s amazing how we can surprise ourselves at what we can accomplish. We gain confidence and Race Day or Real Life Events become less stressful!
Said differently: why not get the FTP information that you’re testing for AND get more experience at stressful cycling scenarios (like FTP Tests!) so that you get better at handling them!
Lastly, if you have a test coming up, you’ll take strides to ensure proper sleep, fueling, and mindset. These are great things to work on!
See Also: Cycling Power Zones Explained
What FTP Test Do We Use?
In order to have an athlete's FTP dialed in, I first make sure there are no erroneous power spikes or errors in their WKO5 data. If you have a 3,000W spike, then the mFTP that it provides will be incorrect.
Then I look at what type of power they’ve done for around 20-30 minutes. It’s best to look at a race file, time trial, or full gas effort from training. Taking 95% of this number will get you in the ballpark for your FTP.
I will look at that same 20-30 minute effort and refer to the histogram of watts. If they have a high FRC, this will be a less reliable measure than if their FRC is lower, but it is still useful to take a look at.
If they haven’t done a 1 hour max effort before, looking at their 1 hour best average clearly isn’t going to indicate much about FTP. This brings about another question though: what is the longest effort they’ve ever done continuously?
You want to see at least a 25-30 minute effort in there somewhere, even if it’s an interval session with a short 4 minute rest. If they haven’t done that, their lack of experience in going hard for a long time might not be the best indicator of their aerobic fitness; but also, this will be low lying fruit for training.
Once you can push consistent power on the pedals for longer, you will see aerobic gains and get better at FTP efforts.
Once we have the FTP dialed in for an athlete, we can use this to help them improve by having them ride at the correct cycling training zones. However, it’s even more important in using the zones to understand how easy to ride.
We all know what riding around FTP feels like, but a lot of coaching involves having athletes ride easy enough; Having them reduce the amount of smashing in order to really build the aerobic engine.
Once we have all the zones set properly, we can dose the training stimulus so that we improve the athlete’s ability to clear lactate, which essentially improves cycling FTP. Once an athlete stops making gains here, or after 1-2 blocks of training, we might then focus more on some VO2Max development in order to improve their aerobic capacity. And now we are off and rolling!
Feel free to check out our cycling training programs to see how we can help you become faster.
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE FTP GUIDE HERE! What is FTP? How can you train it? Our complete guide will answer all your questions.
Do You Need To Train Your FTP?
Yes, you want to have a sufficient FTP for your goals. How can you determine if you should focus on your FTP or on one of these other variables? Signs you should focus on FTP training:
You get dropped before reaching the final sprint or you are too tired to get in good position for the sprint
You struggle to keep up on the climbs
Time trials are your weakness
All of these indicate that your aerobic engine is lacking and you could stand to improve your FTP. I’ve come across newer riders with a monster 1500 Watt sprint, but they can’t use it because they get dropped before the end of the race because they need to improve their FTP. If you find the opposite, that you have no issue getting in good position for the sprint, but have no kick at the end, you might benefit from focusing more on anaerobic training.
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