Don't Let FTP Be Your Only Focus

By Samantha Murphy

Coach Samantha Murphy is the founder of Evolve Coaching Systems, one of the largest and most successful coaching groups in the Midwest. 

Winter is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, and the one thing many of us want next season is a higher FTP. If you spend a lot of time riding on a trainer, then you know that any interface you choose to use will be based on your FTP. It is an important metric to measure fitness, but what if we told you that blindly chasing a higher FTP won't necessarily improve your perfromance on the bike? It’s time we start to think about what other metrics and factors might play an equal or larger role in how your triathlon season shapes up next year. 

What Is Your FTP and Why Is It Important?

An example of a standard 20-minute FTP test used to calculate your FTP.

"In its simplest form, the higher the FTP, the faster the biker. But here is the most important thing to know about FTP: it is not the only number that matters."

While it’s cliché, we are going to start with a definition of FTP, because while many of us know we want a higher one, we may not fully understand why we do and what really matters in the metric. FTP, or “functional threshold power,” is the highest power (in watts) you can hold for an hour. An hour? Yes, an hour. But as you may know, most FTP tests will be far less than an hour. That is because they test your average power over a certain time (e.g., 20 minutes), and use a percentage of that to calculate your FTP. This is a close approximation of what your highest average power would be for an hour. 

But is it? Well, without getting too far into the weeds, it is probably not completely accurate, but that is due more to human limitations and some other technical factors. What matters most when testing your FTP is that you complete the same test type, under the same conditions, and on the same bike each time you do it. It is also very important to understand that an FTP test in an indoor environment will not translate 1:1 to outside riding (we will talk more about this later), so if you really want to drill down, you should complete the test outside when conditions allow. 

Once you have an idea of what your FTP is, you can use it to calculate zones and set up the intensity of your workouts based on those zones. In its simplest form, the higher the FTP, the faster the biker. But here is the most important thing to know about FTP: it is not the only number that matters. Your watts per kilogram (w/kg) matters too. A rider who weighs more will often be able to produce more power naturally. So while a lighter athlete’s FTP number might be lower, their watts/kilos could be higher, and technically, they would be the fitter and faster athlete. Next time your best mate brags about their new FTP, ask the question of watts per kilo. 

Performance Factors To Focus on for Race Day 

"There are many athletes who race better than their FTP suggests, and conversely, those who can’t ever seem to match what their FTP suggests they should be capable of on race day."

It seems obvious, then, that the most important goal of any cyclist should be to raise their FTP. The more power you can produce, the better you will be on race day. And yet, we know that there are many athletes who race better than their FTP suggests, and conversely, those who can’t ever seem to match what their FTP suggests they should be capable of on race day. Some athletes simply do not test well. These athletes might find that their FTP does not align with their abilities. Just like you could have been amazing in school and not done as well on standardized tests. This is probably due mostly to the psychological components of a “test” and how an individual reacts to the mental demands physically. The other athlete type might be incredible during testing, but then not be able to produce the results on race day. 

Whatever category you fall into as you prepare for your next season, rather than stressing your FTP, let’s consider some other very important factors that play a role in how you approach race day: 

1. Dial In Your Riding Position

The goal of any aero bike setup is to minimize drag by reducing your CdA (Coefficient of Drag Area). However, having a super aero position is meaningless if you can’t hold it for a long duration of time. This is why comfort is paramount for a long-course rider. The longer the race, the more comfort matters. If an athlete is constantly shifting around in their saddle, watts are being wasted. Also, if your position allows you to produce more watts, but at the cost of running well off the bike, it will negate any power gains. 

While it is nice to have the fastest bike split of the day, your ultimate goal is to have the fastest swim, bike, and run. So consider your position—how long you can comfortably hold your aero position and how much shifting you do in your saddle—and train your ability to hold your position for the next season.  

2. Don’t Neglect Bike Handling Skills

Handling skills are not a factor when riding inside, but they are a large component on race day. Your ability to corner, ascend, and descend well will influence your race results. Sure, a course like IRONMAN Texas demands fewer bike handling skills, but you still have to contend with wind and stay stable and aero even in gusts or while navigating through traffic. A course like Lake Placid demands a higher skill set, and athletes who race well there know the demands of the course and are able to ride well in all conditions. 

Fitness matters on all courses, but being able to tap into your fitness despite the demands of the terrain and environment even matters more. Don’t just sit on your indoor trainer; go outside regularly and make sure you take the time to work on handling real-world terrain out in the elements. 

3. Mind The Durability Gap

Athletic durability is the ability of an athlete to resist fatigue and maintain physiological and biomechanical efficiency for the duration of the race. The “durability gap” is the difference between an athlete's potential performance when well rested and not fatigued versus their actual performance during a long race. The longer the race, the more the gap has the potential to grow. 

An athlete's ability to maintain their power, form, cadence, and even mental focus as the hours wear on plays a very large role in performance outcomes. Static metrics like FTP do not capture real-world performance under the specific and dynamic demands of race day. Durability is best achieved with consistency, year after year, but you should also be incorporating workouts that test your mental and biomechanical abilities under duress. A classic way to work on durability, for example, is to do 5 minutes, working up to 20 minutes of tempo work at the end of a run. Also, if you are neglecting strength work, NOW is the time to get after it. 

4. Train Your Gut

The fittest athlete is no match for underfueling. Being able to consume and digest carbohydrates is essential to any performance and is the key to making sure that all of your training is showcased on race day. Recent science has shown that the more carbohydrates an athlete can consume, the smaller the drop-off in speed at the end of a long race. However, tossing back tons of carbs on race day without prior gut training is a recipe for disaster. 

Being able to digest carbohydrates is an ability that needs to be trained long before the gun goes off. If your gut is not trained properly, it will slow any athlete to a walk or worse. When it comes to fueling, don’t just wing it; have a fueling plan that is scientifically backed and repeatable, and practice it regularly during long sessions on the bike. 

Explore Triathlon Bikes

So hit the trainer, follow your training program, be consistent, but don’t let FTP be your only focus. FTP is one tool in your training arsenal. Train the other factors we’ve discussed here, and you’ll be a more complete and more successful athlete!