Also another one:
“The main finding of this investigation indicates that CP and VT2 are significantly higher than MLSS. These two parameters do not represent the maximal intensity that can be maintained for a long period of time without a continuous increase of blood [La].”
In reality on the testing side, all of the protocols that we have are estimates rather than direct measurements, so you have to weight:
Ramp Test checks 2 out of the 3 boxes and is probably roughly equal to the 20 minute test in terms of range of accuracy, which is why I think TR was very smart to implement it.
If you have the mental faculty to do a longer test, like the ones described in the TrainingPeaks article, then you can reduce the margin of error but you take an increase in TSS incurred as a result (mine was 3 hours and about 160TSS on a Saturday). FWIW, I really liked the long test, but not everyone is willing to do it.
Why not just find a point on our power curve (seasonal, not all time) and use that to pick the FTP? Or don’t even call it FTP. Just call it “the power we’ll base all your workouts on”. I would think for those of us who train regularly this would work. Obviously with no or little data to make the curve you would need a ramp test.
For a number of different reason’s, you can’t just select a single point. You can model FTP based on the power curve but it still relies on the model having good data, which requires some form of guided testing in order to generate said good data.
exactly. Thanks for posting!
I hear you.
But I would think that if your source data comes from all your your recent workouts rather than one test, you could come up with a better metric for your training plan. You’d have more data to work with. Maybe you’d use multiple points along the curve… maybe I should buy WKO4 or whatever it’s called.
WKO4 still uses FTP as the primary metric for calculating your sub-threshold zones and for a good reason. FTP/MLSS is the best indicator of aerobic performance and below this number we are mostly metabolically the same. In order to model your FTP with a high enough amount of accuracy to trust, you need good data in the model, which will require some type of testing that is repeatable.
If you don’t believe me, go watch all of the WKO4 seminars and read up on the topic.
Sounds expensive
I’ll take your word for it
Actually they are free! 
Getting Started With WKO4 - YouTube
Too bad the software isn’t.
He was referencing a paper that set out to compare the 8 minute test (Carmicheal’s test) with MLSS:
Turns out they did the MLSS tests on a trainer (as expected), but did the 8 minute test outdoors. They also only did a single 8 minute TT rather than the prescribed 2 with 10 minutes rest.
Hardly surprising that they found ‘FTP’ to be higher than MLSS in this case.
Mike
