We can’t do the work for you, but these might help.
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Critical Power.
Critical Power (CP) is a metric that defines the maximum power you can maintain over a prolonged period without experiencing fatigue. It is based on the power-duration relationship, represented by a hyperbolic curve, which indicates the point where sustainable energy output transitions to unsustainable. The Work Capacity above CP, known as W' (pronounced "W prime"), measures the total energy available for efforts above CP before exhaustion, acting as an "anaerobic battery" for high-intensity activities. Together, CP and W' comprehensively understand your endurance and explosive power capabilities.
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Power at VO2max.
VO2 max measures the maximum oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, reflecting your aerobic capacity. The 5-minute test is a practical tool for cyclists to estimate both VO2 max and Power at VO2 max (pVO2max). VO2 max indicates the peak oxygen uptake during exertion, while pVO2max translates this into your highest power output at peak oxygen use. These metrics together provide a comprehensive insight into your endurance and aerobic performance capabilities.
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Threshold Power and Training Zones.
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power you can sustain for an hour without fatigue. It serves as a benchmark for training intensity and performance. By determining your FTP, you can establish personalised power zones, allowing you to tailor your workouts for maximum effectiveness. Alongside power zones, heart rate zones are also calculated, providing a dual approach to training. Heart rate zones reflect your cardiovascular effort at various intensities, helping you monitor and optimise your training sessions. Together, FTP and heart rate zones offer a comprehensive framework to enhance your cycling performance and endurance.
Critical Power and W’
Knowing your Critical Power (CP) is like discovering your cycling superpower—the maximum power you can sustain over a long period without hitting the wall. Above CP, there's W' ("W prime"), which represents the extra energy reserve you can tap into for those all-out sprints before you’re completely depleted. If you are an ironman athlete, it probably isn’t important to have a high W’. Think of W' as your turbo boost; it’s the amount of work you can do above your CP before fatigue sets in.
To measure your CP, you’ll need to do a few all-out efforts lasting between 3 to 20 minutes. Think of it as a fun challenge: try 3, 6, 12, and 20-minute sprints on different days, or make sure you’re well-rested in between. This method, grounded in science, helps pinpoint your endurance limits for different durations. Unlike Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which guesses the power you can maintain for an hour based on shorter tests, CP gives a more rounded view by covering a broader range of efforts. While FTP is a decent guess for around 40 minutes of hard effort, CP offers a more reliable measure for training and performance. A neat trick: taking 96% of your CP gives you a good FTP estimate, showing just how versatile CP is for tracking your endurance.
Put your data into the clculator, and you will also be shown your power curve, allowing you to estimate your power for untested durartions.
Power at VO2 Max
VO2 max measures how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, reflecting your aerobic fitness. Power at VO2 max (pVO2max) shows the highest power you can maintain when using maximum oxygen.
To test your VO2 max, warm up well and then do a 5-minute all-out effort on a bike with a power meter. Aim for the highest average power you can sustain. This test gives an estimate of your VO2 max and pVO2max based on your power and weight. Remember, these are estimates and can vary, so they may not replace precise lab tests. Many people have a power meter even if they don't have a met-cart.
Knowing your VO2 max and pVO2max can improve your training. VO2 max shows your aerobic fitness, while pVO2max indicates your peak power. Use these to create effective workouts to boost both endurance and high-intensity performance. For example, do short, intense bursts at or near pVO2max to improve aerobic capacity and overall performance.
Fatmax: Fatmax is the intensity at which you burn the most fat. For men, it's around 45-52% VO2 max, and for women, it's around 48-53% VO2 max. These percentages were found in a study by Venables et al. (2005). Knowing your Fatmax helps optimize training for fat metabolism and endurance.
Threshold Power and Zones
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) estimates the maximum power you can sustain for an hour, indicating your endurance. Functional Threshold Heart Rate (FTHR) is the average heart rate during this effort. To test FTP, perform two 8-minute all-out efforts with a 5-minute recovery, recording the average power and heart rate. This method is easier to test and retest compared to a full hour-long test.
FTP sets training zones, aiding in the prescription of training. Power-to-weight ratio (w/kg) is better way to compare FTP against others.
Another option is Critical Power (CP), offering a detailed assessment over various durations. Understanding and using FTP, FTHR, and CP helps tailor your training, keeping workouts challenging and effective.
FTP Improvement
Here we can compare your past and current FTP test results, showing how your performance has changed over time. To use this calculator, enter the dates, FTP values, and body weight from your previous and most recent tests. It will then determine the absolute improvement in power (watts) and power-to-weight ratio (W/kg), along with the percentage improvement.
The calculator also figures out the average weekly change in FTP and predicts your FTP in 12 weeks based on your current improvement rate. Wouldn't it be nice to know, in a perfect world, if we could just keep getting better and better, without worrying about those genetic limitations?
References
Bettin, A. (2008, October 10). Creating your power profile. TrainingPeaks. https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/power-profiling/
Bettin, A. (2016, April 29). Cycling power zones explained. TrainingPeaks. https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/power-training-levels/
Chorley, A., & Lamb, K. L. (2020). The application of critical power, the work capacity above critical power (W′), and its reconstitution: A narrative review of current evidence and implications for cycling training prescription. Sports, 8(9), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports8090123
Jones, A. M., Vanhatalo, A., Burnley, M., Morton, R. H., & Poole, D. C. (2010). Critical power: Implications for determination of VO2max and exercise tolerance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(10), 1876-1890. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181d9cf7f
Noordhof, D. A., Vink, A. M., de Koning, J. J., & Foster, C. (2011). Anaerobic capacity: Effect of computational method. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(6), 422–428. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1271676
Sitko, S., Cirer-Sastre, R., Corbi, F., & López-Laval, I. (2022). Five-minute power-based test to predict maximal oxygen consumption in road cycling. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 17(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2020-0923
Venables, M. C., Achten, J., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2005). Determinants of fat oxidation during exercise in healthy men and women: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Applied Physiology, 98(1), 160–167. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00662.2003
Critical Power (CP) and W' Calculation
Calculate Critical Power (CP) and W' based on power outputs at different time intervals.
Sum of reciprocal times (\( x \)):
\( \text{sumX} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \)
Sum of power values (\( y \)):
\( \text{sumY} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} y_i \)
Sum of reciprocal times times power values (\( x \cdot y \)):
\( \text{sumXY} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i \cdot y_i \)
Sum of squared reciprocal times (\( x^2 \)):
\( \text{sumXX} = \sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i^2 \)
Slope of the linear regression line:
\( m = \frac{n \cdot \text{sumXY} - \text{sumX} \cdot \text{sumY}}{n \cdot \text{sumXX} - \text{sumX}^2} \)
Intercept of the linear regression line:
\( b = \frac{\text{sumY} - m \cdot \text{sumX}}{n} \)
Critical Power (CP):
\( CP = b \)
W' (W prime):
\( W' = m \)
Estimated Functional Threshold Power (FTP):
\( \text{FTP} = 0.96 \cdot CP \)
Fatmax Calculation
Calculate the Fatmax range based on the estimated power at VO2max and gender-specific percentages.
Fatmax range for males:
\( \text{Fatmax}_{\text{male}} = \left[ 0.45 \cdot \text{Power at VO2max}, 0.52 \cdot \text{Power at VO2max} \right] \)
Fatmax range for females:
\( \text{Fatmax}_{\text{female}} = \left[ 0.48 \cdot \text{Power at VO2max}, 0.53 \cdot \text{Power at VO2max} \right] \)
Power and VO2 Max Calculation
Calculate the relative power output, VO2max, absolute VO2max, and estimated power at VO2max (PVO2max or Paer) based on the 5-minute power and the cyclist's weight.
\( \text{Relative Power Output} = \frac{\text{5-Minute Power}}{\text{Cyclist Weight}} \)
\( \text{VO2max} = 16.6 + (8.87 \cdot \text{Relative Power Output}) \)
\( \text{Absolute VO2max} = \text{VO2max} \cdot \text{Cyclist Weight} \)
\( \text{Estimated Power at VO2max (PVO2max or Paer)} = \frac{\text{Absolute VO2max} \cdot 21.7 \cdot 0.20}{60} \)
This calculation estimates the maximal aerobic power output (PVO2max or Paer) that a cyclist can sustain at their VO2max. This value is crucial for understanding the athlete's endurance capabilities at their peak aerobic capacity. A higher PVO2max indicates a greater ability to sustain high-intensity efforts during prolonged exercise.
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Functional Threshold Heart Rate (FTHR) Calculation
Calculate the average power and heart rate over two blocks, estimate FTP, FTP in W/kg, and FTHR, and categorize the rider's FTP using the Coggan classification.
\( \text{Average Power} = \frac{\text{Block One Power} + \text{Block Two Power}}{2} \)
\( \text{FTP} = \text{Average Power} \cdot 0.9 \)
\( \text{FTP in W/kg} = \frac{\text{FTP}}{\text{Weight (kg)}} \)
\( \text{Average Heart Rate} = \frac{\text{Block One HR} + \text{Block Two HR}}{2} \)
\( \text{FTHR} = \text{Average Heart Rate} \)
\( \text{Power Zone} = \text{FTP} \cdot \text{Zone Factor} \)
\( \text{Heart Rate Zone} = \text{FTHR} \cdot \text{Zone Factor} \)
FTP Improvement Calculation
Calculate the improvement in FTP and W/kg over time, the average weekly change in FTP, and forecast FTP in 12 weeks.
\( \text{Improvement in Watts} = \text{New FTP} - \text{Old FTP} \)
\( \text{Improvement in W/kg} = \frac{\text{New FTP}}{\text{New Weight}} - \frac{\text{Old FTP}}{\text{Old Weight}} \)
\( \text{Average Weekly Change in Watts} = \frac{\text{Improvement in Watts}}{\text{Weeks Between Tests}} \)
\( \text{Forecast FTP in 12 Weeks} = \text{New FTP} + (\text{Average Weekly Change in Watts} \cdot 12) \)
\( \text{Time Between Tests} = \frac{\text{New Date} - \text{Old Date}}{\text{Milliseconds in a Day}} \)