WILL THE REAL FTP PLEASE STAND UP

Functional threshold power is a prized benchmark – but which test is the most accurate? Steve Shrubsall tries them all

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This Christmas I decided the best way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ was to inflict a large amount of pain on my person by doing five different FTP (functional threshold power) tests. This would not only atone for any seasonal gluttony but would resolve a bone of contention that has been dogging cycling for the past 25 years: which test is the best?

By definition, FTP is the power a cyclist can sustain for an hour. Once you have ascertained this figure, it can be used to calculate your training zones and then create a training plan to improve your fitness. The amount of power you can sustain for 60 minutes is determined by metabolic efficiency – your body’s ability to turn fuel into energy – and corresponds to lactate levels. Pedal too hard for too long and your body’s engine room runs into trouble: it can’t shovel coal fast enough. Fatigue rapidly sets in, and it’s goodnight Vienna. The amount of power you can hold for a relatively long time – an hour, specifically – is therefore an important benchmark.

Having sought advice from some of the sport’s leading authorities on field testing: former WorldTour rider and coach at Thighsclub.com Alex Dowsett, coach Chris Carmichael, and domestic racer Andy Critchlow, I slipped away from a Boxing Day game of Scrabble, pulled on a pair of bibshorts and waddled with trepidation towards the shed.

TEST 1 THE HOUR OF POWER

ALEX DOWSETT SAYS: For the majority of people, truly emptying the tank at a uniform pace over an hour – especially if you’re doing it indoors – is possibly one of the most psychologically demanding things you can do on a bike.