Below I have drawn onto the chart two barrels. We can see this process in action on the power profile graph. So the barrel could be tall and thin or wide and flat, as long as it holds the same amount of water. We know that to hold the same amount of water the barrel can take various different shapes as long as the volume of the barrel remains the same. Let’s also consider the shape of the barrel. So it follows that if we are looking at maximal ten-minute power we would need to let out the water in the barrel slower than for a maximal three-minute effort. To understand how this process works in the real world we need to look at your power profile curve. We call this recharging your anaerobic capacity. Once the barrel (anaerobic capacity) is empty, a bigger FTP (hose-pipe) will refill the barrel (anaerobic capacity) quicker than a smaller FTP (hose-pipe).These power outputs are only sustainable while there is still water in the barrel (your anaerobic capacity isn’t empty). Power outputs above FTP power are produced from a combination of FTP power (hose-pipe) and your anaerobic capacity (water in the barrel).That power is only sustainable if the amount of water in the barrel (anaerobic capacity) is not decreasing therefore the maximal sustainable power output equals your FTP power (hose-pipe). Your maximal sustainable power (how much water you can allow out of the tap without emptying the barrel) has to equal your FTP power (the hose-pipe or water coming into the barrel).First up, however, we can use this model to explain a number of things relating to how much power you can put out on the bike. The water level in the barrel represents your anaerobic capacity.īear with me, as this model will demonstrate how anaerobic energy and capacity works as we delve deeper into the subject. On the bottom of the barrel there is a tap, which represents how much power you are putting out – this is your power output This represents how much energy you can produce through aerobic pathways – or, in other words, your FTP power. Now consider that there is a hose-pipe going into the top of the barrel. To understand how both your aerobic and anaerobic systems work together to produce power, we need to think of your anaerobic system as a big barrel of water. The more anaerobic energy available, therefore, the greater amount of power we can put out on the bike. What is the significance of that? Well, it just shows how even in a relatively long effort we are still using some anaerobic energy alongside aerobic output. Why only 95 per cent? Because in an FTP test, five per cent of your power output also comes from anaerobic energy pathways. This, of course, is 100 per cent true – however, what is often forgotten is that we can use both anaerobic and aerobic energy pathways together to produce power on the bike.Īs covered in my piece on how to perform an FTP test, your FTP power is 95 per cent of the average power your produce in a 20-minute test. It’s because the aerobic pathways simply can’t keep up and why these types of efforts are short and unsustainable. This is because we have always been told anaerobic means ‘without oxygen’ and, when we sprint, we release energy so quickly it has to come from anaerobic rather than aerobic sources. If you remember my article on training zones, you’ll have seen that the sixth of the seven zones I outlined was called the ‘anaerobic zone’ – when you’re riding in short, sharp bursts at between 121% or 150% of FTP.Īs a result, when people hear the term ‘anaerobic’ their first thought is often sprinting.
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