MSPO?

04-06.-2004, 01:45 AM	#1
sheppard Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 28	MSPO? I'm anxious to interrogate some of you riders out there. I'm interested to hear what some of your maximum sustainable power outputs are. So: 1) What do you think your MSPO is? 2)What kind of a test did you use? 3)How long have you been training to increase your MSPO (while specifically tracking its improvement)? 4)How much improvement have you made? 5)What is your MSPO goal? I don't care so much about the W/kg. I know that I need to lose a good bit of weight before my number becomes competitive.... Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing from you guys and gals out there.... __________________ -Shep Last edited by sheppard : 04-06.-2004 at 01:53 AM.

04-06.-2004, 03:44 PM	#2
biker-linz Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: nr. Milton Keynes, UK Posts: 216	Re: MSPO? Hi Sheppard. 'MSPO', I like that:-) There are so many terms for this out there ATM. Personally I use Functional Threshold Power (FTP), or Critical Power (CP) as originally defined in the scientific literature (before Joe Friel hijacked it!). I've been training with power since the late winter and it's incredible. My FTP back then was around 235W. I plateau'ed at 260W-ish for a while and then dipped due to some short term overtraining. Last test had me at 280W, although I'm concerned this might be a slight overestimate as I use the CP test with rides of 3min and 12 min, and this can overestimate your FTP. I've just started some VO2max intervals (painful) so I'm hoping it'll jump up some more before my big races in July. Target is 300W. FWIW, I think the 'gold standard' test is to ride on a flat course for an hour, but I don't always fancy doing this on my own in training. Anyone for a dragstrip 25?? Linz.

07-06.-2004, 08:50 PM

tuney

Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Surrey

Posts: 89

Re: MSPO?

Quote:

Originally posted by sheppard
I'm anxious to interrogate some of you riders out there. I'm interested to hear what some of your maximum sustainable power outputs are. So:
1) What do you think your MSPO is?
2)What kind of a test did you use?
3)How long have you been training to increase your MSPO (while specifically tracking its improvement)?
4)How much improvement have you made?
5)What is your MSPO goal?
I don't care so much about the W/kg. I know that I need to lose a good bit of weight before my number becomes competitive....
Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing from you guys and gals out there....

I'm gonna estimate here, I think my 30 minutes MSPO is 360-370 watts at the moment (using power tap)

I've just started back on the bike this year (December), so Im still increasing pretty consistantly. Im not really 'training' just enjoying riding and racing, and then chucking in a few interval sessions (e.g. 6-9*5min @375w)

When I started my MSPO was probably 280ish maybe lower... I never did any tests for the first month or two.

Id like to hit 360-370w for an hour this year with a weight of 70kg (currently 76kg)

Tuney

07-06.-2004, 10:03 PM	#4
sheppard Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 28	Re: Re: MSPO? Tuney, Wow, that seems like a fantastic increase in just half a year! I recently estimated my MSPO at about 300, which surprised me. I had expected lower seeing as I've been running for a few years now and not cycling. The bad new is i still weigh about 85 kg; I'm coming off a pretty hard calisthenics routine(I'm in the military....) but now have some muscle to lose if I want to be competitive.... So, your MSPO is about 4.3 W/kg then. That's great, especially for such a dramatic improvement in such a short time. I know that the big wig elites manage around 6 W/kg. That just astounds me, seeing as my weight brings me down to more like 3.5! I used a test I got out of Dave Morris's most recent book. He was a physiologist for the US Olympic team between, I think, 1992-96. It involves doing three minute intervals (but no rest) of increasing intensity, increasing each by 25 watts, until you reach the intensity you believe you could sustain for greater than 30 minutes, but hard enough that it might be your mspo. You then do that power output for the three minutes, just like all the other levels, but you mark your HR at the three minute point and keep going until 6 minutes. If your HR increases by more than 8-10 bpm between the third and sixth minute, then the intensity is too high, and you should retake the test. It sounded like an interesting way to determine mspo, so I decided to give it a go. Sounds like a good way to judge progress after a recovery period. Thanks for your input, and best of luck! __________________ -Shep

07-06.-2004, 10:37 PM	#5
tuney Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Surrey Posts: 89	Yeah it's not bad, Im happy with the amount I've improved. It looks like your making a good transition from running, you must have a good engine! Regarding tests a lot of the guys here are very well educated about all the sports science (ricstern for one) I think they would be able to point you in the right direction, Im sure they have posted a lot on here about it as well.

10-06.-2004, 09:43 AM	#6
velomanct Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 951	i did an 8 mile TT in april at an average of 334 watts, including zeros. i would estimate i could do a little more now. 1 hour power is about 320. i'm 79kg i consider myself a poor time trialer. more of a sprinter. last night i hit 22w/kg. __________________ "friendship, family, religion. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business!" -Mr. Burns The faster you go, the fewer passing cars

10-06.-2004, 04:31 PM

ric_stern/RST

Community Team

Join Date: Nov 2002

Location: Newport, South Wales

Posts: 3,830

Quote:

Originally posted by velomanct
i did an 8 mile TT in april at an average of 334 watts, including zeros. i would estimate i could do a little more now.
1 hour power is about 320.
i'm 79kg
i consider myself a poor time trialer. more of a sprinter. last night i hit 22w/kg.

have you considered taking up 200-m match sprinting on the track? 22 W/kg puts you right up there at an elite level. Maybe you're kilo power is also excellent?

ric

__________________
http://www.cyclecoach.com

10-06.-2004, 05:31 PM

tuney

Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Surrey

Posts: 89

Quote:

Originally posted by ricstern
have you considered taking up 200-m match sprinting on the track? 22 W/kg puts you right up there at an elite level. Maybe you're kilo power is also excellent?

ric

Thats a great power output!
I can hit >1600w but only in the very early phases of a sprint (as I accelerate).

I'm finding it extremely difficult to get the mid and top end phase power up... but I think that's down to no sprint/speed training.

For now I'll just keep it in the 53.11 ;o) and roll the gear!

10-06.-2004, 05:49 PM

ric_stern/RST

Community Team

Join Date: Nov 2002

Location: Newport, South Wales

Posts: 3,830

Quote:

Originally posted by tuney
Thats a great power output!
I can hit >1600w but only in the very early phases of a sprint (as I accelerate).

chris,

OMG! i hope you don't think i can do that power!? i couldn't sprint my way out of a paper bag!

ric

__________________
http://www.cyclecoach.com

10-06.-2004, 05:55 PM	#10
tuney Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Surrey Posts: 89	Is that a wet paper bag? ;o)

10-06.-2004, 06:02 PM	#11
ric_stern/RST Community Team Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newport, South Wales Posts: 3,830	wet or dry i'd have probs. the only time i won a bunch sprint (3rd place overall) no one could understand why i was cracked up laughing hysterically as i crossed the line ric __________________ http://www.cyclecoach.com

02-09.-2004, 11:32 AM

#12

sgb

Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2004

Posts: 6

Re: MSPO?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheppard

Tuney,
Wow, that seems like a fantastic increase in just half a year! I recently estimated my MSPO at about 300, which surprised me. I had expected lower seeing as I've been running for a few years now and not cycling. The bad new is i still weigh about 85 kg; I'm coming off a pretty hard calisthenics routine(I'm in the military....) but now have some muscle to lose if I want to be competitive....
So, your MSPO is about 4.3 W/kg then. That's great, especially for such a dramatic improvement in such a short time. I know that the big wig elites manage around 6 W/kg. That just astounds me, seeing as my weight brings me down to more like 3.5!
I used a test I got out of Dave Morris's most recent book. He was a physiologist for the US Olympic team between, I think, 1992-96.
It involves doing three minute intervals (but no rest) of increasing intensity, increasing each by 25 watts, until you reach the intensity you believe you could sustain for greater than 30 minutes, but hard enough that it might be your mspo. You then do that power output for the three minutes, just like all the other levels, but you mark your HR at the three minute point and keep going until 6 minutes. If your HR increases by more than 8-10 bpm between the third and sixth minute, then the intensity is too high, and you should retake the test. It sounded like an interesting way to determine mspo, so I decided to give it a go. Sounds like a good way to judge progress after a recovery period. Thanks for your input, and best of luck!

HI

Be careful here as this is hit and miss. I did this in January and estimated mine at 320 watts! did my work intervals using this as my MSPO and nearly killed myself and had to re build. Now I have MSPO of 300 watts in August and am racing well top 5 in time trials. Use Ric sterns test (see his posts for his site) this is much better and you finish with a watt max over the last minute. He tells you how to work your zones from this and he is (from field tests) spot on.

The block training Dave morris recomends is interesting and may work but you have to get the levels spot on. I did not as his test was too inprecise as mentioned. You think you get to a wattage that you can handle for an hour and even though your HR may not rise 8-10 beats you could not hold it. How many times have you done an interval and thought hey I can blast this only to see half way through the power creep down. 6 mins and 60 are a long way appart!

Also even though I ride only shrt TT's, the lack of endurance rides is not, in my oppinion a good idea. Also you push it so much so often that if you try to race you have nothing there to give(mentally and physically)

Any one else tried it?

SGB

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode