For the 30-minute Aerobic/MAP Ratio test, do you simply do a 30-minute TT (after a proper warmup), keeping your heart rate at 80-83% of the MHR found during your MAP test? Then take the average Power from the 30-minute TT to use for the ratio?
Yes that is correct. Over the course of about 15 minutes you gradually get your HR up to 80% of that max number found in the ramp test. Then keep your HR in that 80-83 range for 30m and take the average power of the 30m effort. Exactly right.
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Thanks!
So I finally got around to trying the Aerobic/MAP test Steve has his athletes do (several days after a recent Ramp test). I’m sure I didn’t do it perfect, but after a 15m warmup, my goal was to ride for a full hour at 75% of MAP power, maintaining heartrate in the 80-83% Max Heartrate range. I wound up cutting the test portion a bit short at 50:45, but I rode the entire time at 75% MAP, and my heartrate only briefly reached the 80-83% Cap. My average heartrate for the test portion of the ride was 77.5% of my Max Heartrate.
So now I’m curious what Steve’s protocol was after test results? If a rider is able to complete the test staying at or below the HR Cap, would he then focus training more on high intensity/VO2 rides to raise MAP power? If a rider isn’t able to complete the test within the heartrate cap, I assume he would continue focus on aerobic development (endurance/tempo).
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
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To confirm - you rode at FTP (TR FTP is 75% of MAP) for 50 minutes and your heart rate didn’t exceed 83% of max? Something seems off…
overreaching? Its common for HR to drop when you overreach/overtrain.
Or maybe your MAP is not representative of your true MAP hence the idea of a block of VO2max to raise it?
This is also my “suspicion” as this seems to be quite…off? But then I have read this:
We can define endurance pace by both power – 60-70 per cent of your maximal aerobic power or MAP (see ‘What is MAP – or 65-75 per cent of your maximum heart rate.
Source: Tune up your legs for riding outdoors - Canadian Cycling Magazine
So basically “endurance” pace as 70% of MAP. I do not think so.
the cyclingmagazine.ca article speaks of a MAP test with 3min steps. I believe TR uses 1min steps. The former will yield a much lower 1min max wattage.
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Actually 75% MAP (5-minute power) is about 92% FTP for me. 75% of 1-minute Ramp Test power is FTP.
I consider it a good thing that my heartrate is less than 80% MHR at that power, I think that’s the purpose of the Aero/MAP test? If I recall correctly, Steve Neal wants his athletes to be able to maintain heartrate at 80-83% MHR riding at 75-80% of MAP power.
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Definitely not overtrained this time of the year … I’m just getting started after an extended break 
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It is between 91 - 92% FTP for 75% of MAP for me as well.
I recently did the first 38 minutes of 72 minutes at 95% FTP below 80% MHR ( mainly started rising as I hadn’t got the cooling and hydration right.)
60 minutes at <80% MHR at 91 - 92% FTP sounds totally feasible, might give it a go in the next few weeks.
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I’m assuming you meant 91-92% FTP in your first sentence.
Yes, corrected it now.
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I feel like it will be very different for everyone. I can’t imagine it would be same for me. I rode yesterday for a 2 x 10 mins at 95% FTP (75% of MAP is 91%) and my HR was 88% of max. Around 80% of HR max is my tempo riding.
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If I understand this Aero/MAP assessment correctly, the idea is to be able to ride for 30-60 minutes at 75-80% of your MAP power (5-minute power), without exceeding 80-83% of your Max heartrate (cycling peak HR). So if your heartrate exceeds that range at 75% MAP power, you would want to focus on developing a stronger aerobic base (z2 endurance and tempo rides) . And if you are able to complete 30-60 minutes at 75-80% of your MAP power without exceeding 80-83% Max heartrate, then you should focus on increasing your MAP power with high intensity rides (Threshold and VO2 rides). Raise the ceiling, then follow by increasing aerobic base.
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@KFB To answer your original question, the more you get away from base (tempo and endurance) the more individual Steve’s input would be. So impossible to give you concrete answer.
He might have you doing threshold or other higher intensity work once you have base fitness, depending on your goal events, time frame until season, etc.
For me, I focused on increasing aerobic fitness beyond “basic”, so not a ton of intensity beyond the rare threshold session or once every other week fast group ride. But I’m not a crit racer or XC etc. so “race specificity” for me is more duration based.
Also, your MAP can increase with endurance and tempo. So it’s not just “get aerobic fit then raise top end with intervals”. The raise the ceiling then raise the roof metaphor would be an oversimplification of his training approach. The whole PD curve went up and out in fits and spurts, different areas at different points.
The most significant improvement I had to MAP was early on when doing base and extending tempo to over 90 mins
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While my numbers are slightly outdated (I am not testing frequently) they feel right for training. I’ve used 75% of 5 min best power not the best 1-min of three min step test. It was also the first harder effort in 2 months. However, my HR doesn’t move. The 10 min intervals are short so it is rising for the first half for sure but then it stays there. The HR behaviour is the same for lower tempo riding or aerobic threshold. If anything, my upper end needs work. I need more time closer to FTP and I should later on work on my 5 min power.
I don’t disagree with the approach. As you can see I was inspired by Steve last winter and posted my training a couple of posts above. My efforts at 85% of FTP are around 79% of max HR depending on the cadence. Perhaps the devil is in the detail - what is MAP. I feel like 3 min steps would give me lower power to ride at.
Basically we are talking about aerobic decoupling at a certain power. My aerobic decoupling is very close to zero for recent rides. But I would need to do a longer interval at a power closer to ftp to be sure.
After very successful last winter modelled on Steve’s approach I was inspired by @sryke’s experiment (ISM thread) and decided to start even lower than tempo - ride a lot at aerobic threshold. After two months I would think my base is quite ok but still can’t do what I wrote about earlier.
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Great feedback @tshortt, thanks! I wasn’t necessarily looking for individual training progression advice, I feel like I’ve got a good handle on that for my specific needs. I was more curious regarding how Steve might use the Aero/MAP test results towards training down the road. I think I have a pretty good idea on that too … I guess I was just trying to confirm. Anyway, I appreciate the feedback.
Sounds like you and I are in a very similar spot regarding training and aerobic conditioning. Best of luck in 2021 … assuming we actually get the chance to race!