What is an FTP Test? How it works. Why it makes sense for everyone.

The Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test is a central component of modern cycling training for determining endurance performance capacity, both for professionals and serious amateur athletes. In a sport that depends heavily on the body's performance capacity and efficiency, FTP value is a key criterion for evaluating and systematically improving a cyclist's performance capacity or current performance level. But what exactly is this test, why is it so important, and how is it conducted? And do only professionals really benefit from it, or can amateur athletes also improve their performance through it?

FTP stands for "Functional Threshold Power" and describes the maximum average power that a cyclist can consistently maintain over one hour. It is measured in watts and is a valuable indicator of an athlete's physical performance capacity, particularly for endurance sports such as cycling or triathlon. "With the FTP test, the individual anaerobic threshold or maximum lactate steady state can be determined," says Stephan Nüsser, a sports science graduate and head of the SNDC Institute, which supports athletes with training and nutrition management. "Simply put," says Nüsser, "the value shows the transition from primarily aerobic* energy supply to predominantly anaerobic energy supply. This can be precisely determined through lactate analysis and/or spiroergometry. The FTP value is used in conventional training science to define personal training or load zones. The FTP test was derived from these physiological examination procedures, essentially as a simplified determination of the anaerobic threshold from home." A small warning from Stephan Nüsser: "For many athletes, the FTP value (power in watts) does not correlate with comparable physiological values of energy metabolism." So anyone who wants to delve even deeper into the topic of training control and threshold power should consult an experienced coach. 

Aerobic: energy containing components of food are completely metabolized using oxygen with maximum energy yield. 
Anaerobic: Not enough oxygen can be provided in the muscle for the current energy requirement, so the food cannot be completely metabolized; a portion is only partially broken down, and the energy yield is lower in this case. The best-known intermediate product is the lactic acid lactate. 

The FTP value is a good indicator of performance capacity in cycling. It is particularly valuable because it not only describes absolute performance but can also be related to body mass. Thus, the value "watts per kilogram (W/kg)" is one of the most practical units of measurement for evaluating cyclists and their performance capacity, and therefore their pacing in an upcoming competition – especially when it comes to how fast and how long one can ride a climb. 

The FTP test helps to: 

1. Determine training zones: Based on the FTP, an athlete can determine their individual training zones, such as the basic endurance zone or the anaerobic threshold. This enables targeted training using a specific watt value, tailored to the respective performance capacity and specific training goal. 

2. Control training and measure progress: By conducting FTP tests regularly, cyclists can track their progress over time. An increase in FTP indicates an improvement in aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Training progress is determined by an increase in watt values during the test interval, but an improvement in the ratio of heart rate to watt measurement values also indicates training success. 

3. Develop race tactics: Especially for competitive riders, FTP is a crucial value for planning race tactics. When you know how long you can maintain a certain power output, you can better assess critical phases of a race – such as a climb or assisting in a breakaway group – and prevent performance drops due to fatigue. 

NOTE: Both for stationary determination of FTP and for the mentioned pacing in competition or constant training within a load zone, power measurement on the bike or ergometer is a prerequisite. The necessary devices called powermeters can be built into the crank arms, the chainring spider, or the pedals, very rarely still in the rear hub. The watt value determined in real time is displayed to the athlete alongside route data and heart rate in their bike computer.

There are two common methods for determining FTP: the classic 60-minute test and the more frequently used 20-minute test. The latter is more widespread because it is shorter and therefore psychologically and physically easier to perform. The test can be conducted at home on a smart trainer (roller trainer) or ergometer, as well as outdoors using a powermeter. Field tests under the most constant conditions possible are also feasible. However, finding level routes without intersections, tight curves, and descents for at least 20 minutes of test time is hardly realistic. Gusts of wind, pedaling breaks, and frequent shifting, for example, distort the results. 

1. The 60-minute test: 

This is the gold standard among FTP tests. The athlete rides or pedals for exactly 60 minutes at their maximum power output that they can maintain over this period. The average power output of this hour is then the FTP. 

Test procedure for the 60-minute test: 

• Warm-up: Before the test, you should warm up for about 20 minutes to prepare the muscles and cardiovascular system. 
• 60 minutes full throttle: During the test, the goal is to find a power output that you can maintain as consistently as possible over the entire hour. You should try to avoid premature fatigue, but also not ride too conservatively. 
• Cool down: After the test, a 10- to 15-minute cool-down is advisable to stabilize circulation again and flush out metabolic end and intermediate products created by the hard exertion from the muscles. The 60-minute test is physically and mentally very challenging and is therefore more commonly performed by experienced riders. 

2. The 20-minute test: 

The 20-minute test is a shortened version of the FTP test and is frequently used by amateurs but also by professionals to determine FTP in a somewhat less exhausting way. Here, power output is measured over 20 instead of 60 minutes. By multiplying the watt value by the factor 0.95, you can calculate the FTP with a slight margin of error. 

Test procedure for the 20-minute test: 

• Warm-up: Here too, you should warm up for about 20 minutes to prepare the muscles for the upcoming exertion. For the shortened FTP test, this should include a targeted pre-load of one and a half to three minutes, during which the heart rate should briefly reach about 90 percent of maximum. This way, the abrupt entry into hard exertion during the test doesn't feel as uncomfortable and finds its steady state more quickly – the threshold to acidosis. 
• 20 minutes all-out: The goal is to ride for 20 minutes at maximum but consistent power output. It is important to choose the pace so that you can maintain the tempo over the full distance. 
• Cool down: After the test, a cool-down is also performed here. This method is particularly popular because it requires less time and exhaustion but still delivers very precise results.

"An FTP test is suitable for anyone who has no health restrictions and can physically exert themselves," says Stephan Nüsser from SNDC. Ultimately, according to Nüsser, for professional and amateur athletes alike. 

1. Professional cyclists

For professional cyclists, regular performance testing – of any kind – is essential. The more accurately the test works, or the more precisely the watt values are determined, the better. Professionals usually use even more elaborate procedures for performance determination, in which not only watts and heart rate are measured, but also respiratory gases and blood values. However, the FTP test also works for them. In competition, FTP is significant as a marker of their current endurance performance capacity, as it provides information about how well they can maintain certain intensities over certain time intervals – a decisive advantage especially during mountain stages or time trials. 

2. Amateur athletes

Not only professionals benefit from conducting an FTP test. Serious recreational athletes can also derive great advantages from it. For them, FTP is a simple way to track their own progress in training and optimally control training intensity. Many amateur athletes train either too hard or not specifically enough, which can lead to overload or lack of progress. However, with the determination of FTP, one can design structured and effective training – possibly in collaboration with an experienced coach. Especially for amateur athletes who compete in events such as cycling marathons or gran fondos, knowledge of FTP is helpful. It enables a realistic assessment of what performance levels one can deliver over longer periods without becoming fatigued prematurely. Comparable control via heart rate not only delivers less accurate results; heart rate also reacts with a time delay. Unlike power measurement, this can lead to overload before the corresponding value is even displayed. 

Anyone who wants to delve deeper or more precisely into the topic and determine their training zones exactly should, according to sports scientist Stephan Nüsser, "determine all relevant parameters of energy metabolism." As the simplest variant, according to Nüsser, this would be the analysis of maximum lactate equilibrium and at what wattage that prevails. Meanwhile, there are very reliable mobile lactate analysis devices for private use, says Nüsser. "Anyone who wants it professionally should consult an experienced performance diagnostician, where lactate and spirometry values are determined in the laboratory."

Performance capacity, particularly threshold power, in endurance sports can be measured using various tests. Terms such as performance test, performance measurement, ramp test, step test, field test, and various others repeatedly appear. The FTP test explained in more detail here is a valuable method for determining performance capacity in cycling without particularly great effort. It offers both professionals and amateur athletes the opportunity to specifically control their training and measure progress. While the 60-minute test delivers the true value, the 20-minute test with appropriate conversion is a time-efficient yet accurate alternative. Cyclists of all performance levels benefit from structured training that is tailored to their own FTP value. It is therefore worthwhile to conduct the FTP test regularly and adjust training zones accordingly to sustainably increase personal performance capacity.