Improving your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) requires a structured approach that challenges your fitness and builds both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Here are five proven strategies to boost your FTP:

Testing your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) regularly is essential for tracking your fitness and ensuring your training remains effective. FTP represents the maximum power you can sustain for an hour, and it serves as the foundation for your power training zones. Without periodic testing, your zones may become outdated, leading to workouts that are either too easy to challenge you or too hard to sustain, which can result in plateaued progress or burnout.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is a key metric in cycling that reflects the maximum power you can sustain for an hour without fatiguing. It is widely used to personalise training, measure fitness, and set power zones for structured workouts. Understanding your FTP and how it relates to your cycling goals is crucial for making meaningful progress.

The science behind Functional Threshold Power (FTP) lies in your body’s ability to produce and sustain energy for cycling through a balance of aerobic and anaerobic systems. FTP represents the power output where your body can clear lactate from the blood as quickly as it produces it, allowing you to ride at a steady state without accumulating fatigue. Once you exceed FTP, lactate builds up, causing fatigue to set in quickly.

Regardless of whether you're just beginning your journey with power-based cycling training or are well-versed in the intricacies of measuring watts, understanding and conducting a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test is crucial. For cyclists embarking on their training, the initial step often involves an FTP test. This is no coincidence; such testing provides a precise measurement of your current fitness level, ensuring your training intensity is neither too challenging nor too lenient, but perfectly tailored to your needs and goals.

FTP tests are crucial for establishing accurate training zones, forming the foundation of all training programmes. These tests help determine training zones for heart rate and power output, providing clarity on an individual's training level and intensity for maximum performance. Here are some tips to prepare you for a successful FTP test: