Physiological advantage to longer SST intervals?

offthebackCT said:

Based upon the literature and various posts about the net, I am unclear as to whether or not SST intervals beyond 30 minutes offer any real advantage over more "tolerable" interval lengths when it comes to FTP gain per unit training time. To clarify, this is my standard SST workout: 5 min @ .65(FTP), 5 min @ 1.00(FTP), 60 min @ .91(FTP), 5 min @ .50(FTP), no rest intervals. I usually upshift and downshift at random to reduce boredom, but maintain speed constant +/-0.1 mph. Additionally, I believe that my FTP may be slightly overestimated, as I have little or no anaerobic capacity remaining when I attempt a seated jump between the SST and cooldown. I am new to power training, and use a KK Road Machine with a rear sensing computer, and interval speeds are predetermined using the equations on the KK web site. This is especially important to me now as winter finally sets in here in New England, and I turn to the trainer more often than not for my workouts. Does anyone know of reliable scientific data indicating an advantage either way? It seems to me that an hour-long isopower effort would partially preclude repletion of anaerobic capacity, thereby placing additional stress on aerobic energy pathways. Total acheivable SST time per workout appears to be the same for me whether or not I break the SST into intervals, so the main advantage for me is to reduce boredom. I would even be interested to hear anecdotal "evidence," as I have too little experience in this area to draw a conclusion. Thank you in advance for the insight.

Comments:
1. Paragraphs are a good thing. 🙂
2. I see no advantage in breaking SST training into intervals. In fact, I'd argue for making them as long and steady as possible (when not worrying about 'road racing' performance).
3. Evidence, I have none. Anecdotes, I've related plenty.

SST is about replacing Friel's traditional base miles training. Volume is very important as well as intensity. If you do a search here you will find that most people spend from 1.5 hours to 3 hours at 80% FT to 90% FT. Maybe 3 to 4 sessions a week. I generally target my duration as long as my longest race. I try to get my averge power for the entire duration as close as to that of the race. This is to ensure I have the endurance power to finish the race with the main group. I often bring this up with couple of guys who aren't that really powertapped (they ride with a powertap though). They have no clues what I am talking. They think that because it is a race, you could produce more power in 2 hours than you could in one hour (your FT). 😄 They begin to resort to the "tactics" element in a race to give them the advantage. Like the guys who placed top 10 didn't have race tactics to begin with, and his average power for the race is already higher than your 1 hour power output.

offthebackCT said:

Based upon the literature and various posts about the net, I am unclear as to whether or not SST intervals beyond 30 minutes offer any real ined using the equations on the KK web site. This is especially important to me now a anecdotal "evidence," as I have too little experience in this area to draw a conclusion. Thank you in advance for the insight.