Everything You Need to Know About VO2 Max as a Cyclist

Cycling can involve a lot of numbers, but FTP and VO2 Max are two critical measurements of cycling performance. FTP stands for functional threshold power, and is the most actionable piece of data for any cyclist who wants to improve. VO2 Max is a laboratory measurement for how much oxygen your body can process, but for everyday cyclists is shorthand for super hard efforts of about 5 minutes.

What is FTP (Functional Threshold Power) for cycling and why does it matter?

FTP stands for functional threshold power, which is generally defined as the maximum average power you can sustain for an hour. Cycling power is measured in watts with a power meter, which comes in a variety of forms, from pedals to cranks to spindles to spiders. Some bikes come with power meters, and you can buy a power meter to install on any bike.

You also need a bike computer to display and record the data coming from your power meter.

FTP is important for two primary reasons. One, the higher your FTP, the faster you can go. Just like in a car, more power means more speed. Body weight also figures into the equation, so a rider’s power-to-weight ratio is the common comparison metric.

And two, power-based training plans are based on this number, and your training zones are all derived from it. This is really why FTP is important to you — you can use it to improve your own cycling.

How can I calculate my FTP?

There are a few ways to calculate your FTP. Although the number you are ultimately trying to calculate is the maximum average power you can sustain for an hour, most tests are not an hour long simply because this is such an incredibly difficult effort!

So, the most common FTP test is to warm up well, then ride as hard as you can for 20 minutes, trying to keep your power steady. Your average power output for this 20 minutes, multiplied by 95%, is your functional threshold power.

Some online training platforms like Zwift and TrainerRoad have built-in FTP tests.

How does FTP inform training for cycling?

Your FTP is used to calculate all your training zones, set by percentage ranges.There are a few schools of thought in cycling training, but many use a seven-zone system. Zone 1 is less than 55% of your FTP, Zone 2 is 56-76% of your FTP, and so forth.

For riders without a power meter, you can train with heart rate, and your training zones are defined in a similar fashion, but based on your functional threshold heart rate.

High-end bike computers like the Hammerhead Karoo 2 can display your real-time power output not only in the raw wattage number but by zone, which simplifies your training by allowing you to see at a glance whether or not you are in the correct zone.

How can cyclists improve their FTP?

Improving your functional threshold power can be achieved with a combination of building a strong base of fitness with Zone 2 riding, then adding in intervals workouts in the higher zones. Intervals mean that you break target duration of a certain intensity into chunks. So instead of riding 40 minutes straight at your FTP, you can do a workout of four, 10-minute intervals with rest periods in between where you pedal easily.

As with all training, the methodology is to progressively build up the program, allowing your body to recoup and recover as you go. Everyone has a ceiling to how high they can go, of course, but for most recreational athletes there are gains to be made with thoughtful, consistent, and rest-filled training.

The best way to improve your FTP — and to improve as a cyclist overall — is to follow a training plan.

Related reading: Create the Perfect Cycling Training Plan in 2023 

What is a good FTP for a cyclist?

Professional riders as you would imagine often have a very high FTP; many men have numbers over 400 watts. Bike races are not won based on FTP alone, of course — and a rider’s power-to-weight ratio is a much better indicator of how a given rider will perform than their raw FTP number. Power-to-weight is expressed in cycling as watts per kilo, with the best Tour de France riders able to climb for extended durations at 6 w/kg.

How can a bike computer help improve FTP?

The most efficient way to improve on the bike is by measuring your efforts, not only simply testing your top end output but also your daily workouts. In running, pace is the benchmark metric, and workouts are created around performing intervals of various durations at a certain pace. In cycling, pace is largely irrelevant, as road gradient, surface, wind, group size and other factors impact your speed dramatically.

In cycling, power output is the benchmark metric. A power meter will measure your output, but you need a bike computer to both display and record your power. This allows you to complete power-zone-based intervals. While advanced riders have a good feel for what their Zone 3 is versus their Zone 5, all pro cyclists still ride with power meters to monitor their efforts.

Beyond the real-time monitoring on the bike, capturing your data for post-ride analysis is a vital part of serious training. Off the bike, you can see how much work you did in each power zone, and if you are following a training plan, see if you completed the scheduled workout correctly.

What is VO2 max and how can I improve it?

V02 Max is the maximum rate of oxygen your body is able to use during exercise. Elite athletes can have their VO2 Max measured in a laboratory by riding as hard as they can for a few minutes and having their inhalations and exhalations measured with a hose clamped over their nose and mouth. Sound fun? It is not.

More practically, VO2 Max is commonly referred to as a top-end training zone, often Zone 5, which is the absolute maximum of power you can sustain for about five minutes.

As with other training in other zones, doing concentrated interval workouts can improve your Zone 5 power — and effectively your VO2 Max.

Related reading: Create the Perfect Cycling Training Plan in 2023 

How can a bike computer help me improve as a cyclist?

If you are not measuring something, how can you know whether or not it is improving? A bike computer is a vital tool for cycling training because it measures so many critical points of data. In fact, at first the amount of data available can be overwhelming, but a good computer setup focuses on the critical, actionable pieces of data so you can enjoy your ride.

Whether you are looking to improve your FTP or your VO2 max, or simply increase your overall fitness and health, being able to easily quantify all your training and your testing is the best way to do it. A bike computer plus a power meter and a heart rate monitor is the ideal set up, but the bike computer is the critical first piece. Without it, you certainly can improve, but it’s like losing weight without a bathroom scale — without data, how will you know if anything has changed?