question for the Ex. Phys. boffins

Wouldn't it *all* be utilized? Typical AWC values could contribute ~3-7w over a 60-min duration.

That 3-7w represents the difference between critical power and FT power, no?

frenchyge said:

Wouldn't it *all* be utilized? Typical AWC values could contribute ~3-7w over a 60-min duration.

That 3-7w represents the difference between critical power and FT power, no?

well I'm also thinking of the advice that FTP is taken as CP from the CP-Monod test and not CP + AWC/3600.

I have no axe to grind ... just wondering about what feels like a small discrepancy.

rmur17 said:

well I'm also thinking of the advice that FTP is taken as CP from the CP-Monod test and not CP + AWC/3600.

I have no axe to grind ... just wondering about what feels like a small discrepancy.

In theory, the maximum power you could generate for 60 min - IOW, your functional threshold power - should be equal to (critical power + anaerobic work capacity)/3600. However, such calculations typically entail extrapolating from the power that can be maintained for <3600 s, and the work-time relationship isn't really linear. Thus, in practice functional threshold power is usually closer to the slope of the work-time relationship itself, i.e., critical power. Or, to put it another way: ignoring the small contribution from anaerobic work capacity over a full hour automatically helps compensate for the tendency of the critical power approach to overestimate the power that can be maintained at longer durations.

acoggan said:

In theory, the maximum power you could generate for 60 min - IOW, your functional threshold power - should be equal to (critical power + anaerobic work capacity)/3600. However, such calculations typically entail extrapolating from the power that can be maintained for <3600 s, and the work-time relationship isn't really linear. Thus, in practice functional threshold power is usually closer to the slope of the work-time relationship itself, i.e., critical power. Or, to put it another way: ignoring the small contribution from anaerobic work capacity over a full hour automatically helps compensate for the tendency of the critical power approach to overestimate the power that can be maintained at longer durations.

okay I understand. Recent training/testing results yield a CP of 376W and an AWC of 19000. Taking CP + AWC/3600 predicts 382W for the hour and I'm darned sure I can't hit that (at least indoors 🙂)

Around what duration would you suggest to start derating the AWC component. Maybe downrate it linearly starting around 20-30 min duration (100%) to 0% contribution at 60min?

thanks