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Snippet #020: Decoupling Duration from Intensity at Functional Threshold Power

By Thomas Mortelmans
Snippet #020: Decoupling Duration from Intensity at Functional Threshold Power

Core Insight

While Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is theoretically defined as the highest power sustainable for one hour, physiological data reveals a significant disconnect between this intensity and actual duration.

Research indicates that time to exhaustion at threshold is not a fixed constant but a variable trait highly dependent on training volume and history.

Recreational cyclists may only sustain their calculated threshold power for roughly thirty-five minutes due to the earlier onset of metabolic instability, whereas elite professionals often exceed fifty minutes at the same relative intensity.

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