Watts Doc #11: FTP vs VO2max

8/26/2019

Kolie and Kyle look at the relationship between FTP and VO2max. We use data from a classic paper that calls into question the validity of a long-standing testing protocol in the scientific literature, which is still in use today.

Show Notes
Determinants of Endurance In Well Trained Cyclists
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3403447

Selection of Papers Investigating Assigning % VO2max Test Protocol

Exercise at given percentages of VO2max: heterogeneous metabolic responses between individuals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19230766
Effect of training status and relative exercise intensity on physiological responses in men.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10994919/
Is determination of exercise intensities as percentages of VO2max or HRmax adequate?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10487378
Effects of prolonged exercise at a similar percentage of maximal oxygen consumption in trained and untrained subjects.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00868074

5 Comments

Matthew

8/28/2019 01:12:13 am

Really enjoying the podcasts; thanks a huge bunch for putting these out there. Looking at WKO5, it has my ftp at 84.5% of VO2max, which would put me in the 'high' group. Unfortunately, my VO2max (according to WKO5) is 4.4L/min. Guess that means I'm screwed? My ftp is already way up there in terms of %VO2, so probably can't max that out anymore? And VO2max is pretty hard to move, right? Screwed...

I'm 50yrs btw; been training pretty hard for ~3years and was always fit before I became obsessed with cycling.

Kolie

8/28/2019 12:21:07 pm

Hi Matthew,

You're not screwed! Something few endurance athletes do is a focused vo2max block. Your "potential ceiling" decreases each year, but within the training year it's pretty easy to move up. Spend 3 weeks on your vo2max and make sure you're recovering, bet you'll see a positive result!

Claude-Etienne Borduas

9/24/2019 10:00:37 am

May I ask you to elaborate on a couple of things:

- one of you mentioned that FTP is the highest level at which ATP is produced "purely aerobically"; I was under the impression that a fair bit of the energy produced even at FTP comes from glycolysis, and that the "steady state" results not from all of the energy being produced aerobically, but from the aerobic system being able to recycle enough of the pyruvate/lactate to keep blood lactate levels relatively steady?

- You seem to equate MLSS and FTP; isn't FTP a point at which blood lactate isn't "steady state" any longer but starts accumulating more rapidly?

- What are your thoughts on the work of Jan Olbrecht and Sebastian Weber, among others? Wouldn't the relative strength of an athlete's anaerobic capacity (VLaMax) and VO2 Max largely explain the varying performance among athletes with similar VO2 Max?

9/24/2019 09:00:35 pm

There will be episodes dedicated to each question you ask, but for now, very briefly:

- Glycolysis sometimes does and sometimes does not end aerobically.

- FTP is work rate at MLSS. I asked Andy Coggan many years ago if he meant FTP to be this, and he confirmed it.

- I have opinions on these guys, yes. I will keep it to myself for now.

10/23/2019 09:19:27 pm

Looking forward to these episodes!

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Watts Doc #11: FTP vs VO2max

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