FTP - single most important determinant: True or False?



yzfrr11

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Nov 11, 2004
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It has been well agreed upon that functional threshold power is the single most important physiological determinant of endurance cycling performance. Lydiard, Morris, Danials, Coggan, etc., all seem to agree.

Has anyone seen data supporting this notion?
 
yzfrr11 said:
It has been well agreed upon that functional threshold power is the single most important physiological determinant of endurance cycling performance. Lydiard, Morris, Danials, Coggan, etc., all seem to agree.

Has anyone seen data supporting this notion?

There's lots of it in the scientific literature...for example, take a look at the conclusions of the AIS studies that Fergie recently posted (not sure if that was in this sub-forum or the power sub-forum, but I'm sure you can find his post).
 
yzfrr11 said:
Has anyone seen data supporting this notion?

What kind of data would convince you that this is true? (like give an example or something).
 
What about repeatability? I know a couple (older) guys that can drop me during long steady climbs or long pulls on flats. They just seem to not load up as much as me. But if I keep jumping on them I can usually get away. Or is repeatability a function of FTP. Or age for that matter and I'm not comparing apples to apples?
 
Maybe they know that if they can drop you on the flats, then they can also reel you back in after you've jumped away. Or maybe they just get tired of you jumping on them. ;)

Aside from that, recovery *is* largely related to FTP, which would affect repeatability.
 
frenchyge said:
Maybe they know that if they can drop you on the flats, then they can also reel you back in after you've jumped away. Or maybe they just get tired of you jumping on them. ;) QUOTE]

Yeah - I'm pretty sure it's the second one.
 
It clearly depends on the nature of the event. In what limited modeling I have done of optimal TT pacing strategies, one's entire MP/duration curve comes into play, not just FT (1hr power). There are realistic course and condition (wind) scenarios where the optimal pacing strategy calls for, say, a 5 min segment at a pretty high power relative to FT (e.g., FT+50w). But, even though one can theoretically ride the segment at a certain power and still finish the event within the NP constraiint, it's not an option unless the specific power/duration combo is on the cyclist's MP/duration curve. And, while it seems pretty clear that most of the MP/duration curve derives directly from FT, that connection gets more fuzzy as you shorten the duration, especially <10mins. I can even model scenarios where a rider beats another rider who has a higher FT, both of whom are riding optimal pacing strategies on the same course under the same conditions, if the rider with the lower FT has a little different MP/duration curve at the low end (e.g., <10mins).
 
Cycling(road) is an endurance activity, which is, in basic terms, based on FTP. Everything you do in cycling relies on FTP to some degree. It is simply the most important.