Does L6 work really invoke a peaking response?

tigermilk said:

Does it? It's my weakness and I would like to spend more time on it but the fear of the "premature peak" keeps me away. For others with a TTer's power profile (5-60 minute power on the same level, huge drop to 1 min and 5 s), has an incredible volume of L6 helped in mass start racing without generating that peak?

I would say that it doesn't form a peak by necessity but it usually goes along with it. Are you trying to increase the depth of your AWC or the magnitude? I think the reason that it tends to bring along a peak is that it usually require you to seriously change the quality or amount of training in the lower levels(in this context L4 and below. Your using your body in a different way so your aerobic fitness gets a little bit of a break so raises for a short time then drops. I guess the way to not induce a peak while improving AWC would be a plan that has enough aerobic work to keep lower level fitness and enough L6 to improve that. Whether such a plan is practical or possible...

For example, I think that if you go from a L2-L4 based work for so long then hop into a seriously L6 plan even with the same TSS etc. that you'll gain some overall fitness to begin with then lose it. Even if that's not truly a peak. Not only that but for the time where you have good aerobic fitness and also improving AWC you can see higher NP than you usually could.

The reason that I ask if your going for depth or magnitude of AWC is because it seriously changes which workouts you'll be doing and also changes your ability to maintain condition while training L6. But it's rarely thought about.

Greg

L6 work doesn't induce a peak necessarily, but the reduced volume of aerobic training that often accompanies L6 work does.

To do a lot of L6 you would need to seriously cut back L5 and below...I am blocking L5 atm and I am really sore after only about 30-40 minutes in the zone per week. Total distance is only 300-375 km's thats all you need.

So L6 would be even worse...its not quite as hard to recover from but mentally L6 repeats are an absolute (insert expletive here). In many people it would have the effect of giving top end power increases but mentally they lose it after about 2-3 weeks and need a break which would seem like the end of a"peak" of sorts.

It could also help to peak because it would be a good zone to train just before you PLAN to peak. IMO the best way to peak would be to block train L2-3 then L5 then L4 then a bit of L6 to finish off.