Ftp drop with traditional base

Training
1

I’m still fairly new here. I’m coming over from Peloton which had me doing high intensity rides between 5 and 6 days a week. My first ramp test with TR had my FTP at 381 which matched up well with my previous ftp testing. I’ve decided to start with traditional base high volume to shore up my base before headed into SS base. (I’m training for an ultra so the more base the better) I just did my second ramp test today to start TB HV2 with the mindset of holding strong to maintain ftp. Im fully aware I’ve ignored intensity for a month and there was probably going to be a drop, but I didn’t want my mentality to be the reason for the drop. My FTP went from 381 to 365. I’m fine with the drop but my question is does this sound like a reasonable amount to those of you who are more experienced? I have been making it through all my rides fine. The 3rd week of TB HV1 I was starting to feel the training load in a good way, not the getting burried way. My cadence has also been going up. Self selected cadence has gone from 96 to 105 so I feel like I’m handling the stress and making positive training adaptations. Thanks for any insight you may have.

2

Seems reasonable. No intensity will result in a drop. It will bounce back quickly.

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3

You’re TR MAP-based FTP number went down 4%-5%. I’ll bet the power you can hold for an hour actually went up, though.

Either way, you can get that top-end/VO2max type power back with a few weeks concentration on that type of work. So it’s nothing to worry about. At least not if your focus is ultra.

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Think of it this way:

  1. Your VO2 max has stayed the same. If you weigh 77kg, for a 380w FTP, you were consuming about 5.5 liters of oxygen – assuming you had raised your efficiency at FTP to 85% of VO2 max (a lot of assumptions at work, here, but the point is not the exact numbers). Just by maintaining some regular training during a HBV plan, you have kept that VO2.

  2. A month of HBV has given you a very small increase in mitochondrial density and the efficiency of your Calcium-calmodulin pathway. Very small, but there nonetheless (it takes years of training to get big increases in those).

  3. The VO2 has not changed – only the ability to access a high percentage of that aerobic power has. As has been said, that comes back quickly. Ideally, you’ve actually bumped up the percentage that you’ll be able to access after Build, with the high volume, low intensity work you’re doing now.

Intensity comes back quickly if you have lots of base. Really, you can take a two or three month break from the heavy breathing if you’re piling up 2 hrs/ day of low intensity endurance.

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