In this second part we will address key concepts in running training with power, such as:
- Functional power threshold (rFTP): how to define it?, what is it used for?
- Record of best power data
- Intensity Factor
Functional power threshold (run FTP = rFTP)
Originally, rFTP was defined as 'the highest power that a rider can maintain in an almost steady state for about one hour.' The 'about one hour' part of the definition is not entirely correct, so we can say that it depends on each person, and it can range from 30 to 75 minutes. The maximum time for which an athlete can maintain FTP is known as Time to Exhaustion (TTE), after which intensity must decrease because of fatigue.
The rFTP correlates with the power at the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). This is the physiological state that represents the maximum power that can be maintained at stable blood lactate concentrations. MLSS, lactate threshold (LT), and FTP all represent similar physiological states.
rFTP, as a measure of metabolic fitness, can be assessed in absolute terms (Watts) and in relative terms (w/kg). These values correlate with running speed over distances ranging from 5km to 42km of a marathon. In fact, for most runners, both 5K races and marathons are performed at an average power of +/- 10% of rFTP, making rFTP a useful performance marker.
Likewise, monitoring and control of the evolution of rFTP gives us information about the athlete's physical condition (fig.1).
How do I get my rFTP?
Currently there are several field test options that any athlete who trains with power can perform, but we are going to focus on 2 of them:
| OPTION 1: 30-minute test |
OPTION 2: series of 3 minutes and 9 minutes
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1. Warm-up for 10 minutes. Perform 5 sets of 100 meters at 80% to improve blood circulation and prepare muscles for the subsequent effort.
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1. 10 minutes of warm-up. 5 sets of 100 meters at 80%.
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2. Test 30 minutes at full effort on flat terrain or as flat as possible and without too many turns. With sustained effort during those 30 minutes.
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2. Series of 3 minutes at full intensity. It involves covering the maximum possible distance in those 3 minutes.
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3. Jog 5-10 minutes as a cool down.
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3. 30 minutes of recovery. Walk or jog slowly. |
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FORMULA FOR THE CALCULATION: Obtain your rFTP from the average watts of the last 20 minutes of that test. As long as the effort has been maximum, continuous, and constant. Without holding back for those last 20 minutes |
4. Series of 9 minutes at full intensity. It involves covering the maximum possible distance in those 9 minutes. |
| 5. Cool down. | |
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FORMULA FOR THE CALCULATION: rFTP = (Average watts over 3 minutes + Average watts of 9 minutes) / 2 You apply 90% to that result and you get a fairly approximate rFTP value. |
Now that I have defined my rFTP, what is it used for?
Well, to establish my training zones or paces based on the following percentage table by Steve Palladino:
Record of best power data
Here we will deal with a very simple way to be able to evaluate the progress in the training process of an athlete who trains with power.
Every time you do a workout, whether it is medium intervals, long intervals, fartlek, easy runs, lactate, etc. etc., your watch will record the data from the power meter. And you will then be able to analyze it from your platform (Garmin Connect, TrainingPeaks, etc.). There you will see predefined different power peaks depending on the duration of the effort, so you can see P1, P5, P20, P60, etc. etc. That is nothing more than the best power peak of that duration in your training session, microcycle, mesocycle, season, etc. (see image)
So for example, if in the month of November you have a P20 (peak power of 20 minutes) of 245 watts, and in January you have increased that P20 to 270 watts, it is likely that your performance has improved. You can see that with each of those Ps. There are programs that allow you to edit the duration of those Ps and in that way specify more towards your discipline.
What is the Intensity Factor (IF) of a training session or competition?
It is a value that indicates how intense our training or competition session has been, related to our FTP value. The formula developed by Andy Coggan and Hunter Allen is obtained by dividing the Normalized Power of that session by our FTP value.
Example:
rFTP of 300 watts
Normalized Power of the session 190 watts
IF = 190/300 = 0,63
The IF can indicate how difficult or intense that session has been. The closer the value is to 1, the closer we will be to our “Threshold,” and therefore, the more difficult that session will be. The lower that value is, the easier that session will be. There are exceptions that we will discuss in future chapters.
Bibliographic resources and webography:
- Palladino Power Project
- Palladino, S.: Understanding Running Effectiveness and Its Uses
- Run with Power. Jim Vance, 2016
- TrainingPeaks
- Stryd
- Xan Suarez Triathlon Coach
*In the next chapter, we will address aspects such as Running Effectiveness, control of training stress with power, and basic aspects of periodization.
** To see the first part of «Running training with power?»: https://crownsportnutrition.com/es/entrenamiento-de-carrera-con-potencia/
AUTHOR
Bachelor in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences
Senior Swimming Coach
National Coach Level 3 Triathlon, Athletics, and Cycling
International Triathletes Coach
