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1. What is Fatigue Profile?

Power Profile is telling us more about your abilities in cycling, but it is not telling us the whole story about the athlete. Fatigue profile can tell you more about resistance to the fatigue in specific periods of time. For example, if you are a good sprinter and your 5 sec. power is very high it gives you the ability to win short finishes from the group, but what is your power after 10 sec. and 20 sec. maybe your race tactic should be different and you should start finishing at 500 meters to finish line rather than 150 meters. The same rule is applied to other zones like anaerobic or VO2 max. Bellow you can find testing protocols for specific zones and guidelines to define what is your fatigue resistance.

2. Fatigue Profile Protocols

Fatigue Profile zone 6

 

It’s very important to find the right gear for you to start doing any of those intervals. Then more intervals you do than better you will “feel” your gears. For small ring, gears use 39:16, and don’t shift during intervals.

Time/Distance Description % of FTP % of FTHR
Warm-up ~ 20 min. Easy riding 65 < 70
Main set 3 x 50-75 m (2-3 min. Rl) Small-ring sprints from 8-10 mph  max  N/A
150 m (5 min. Rl) Big-ring sprints (52:17, 50:16) from 18 mph  max  N/A
250 m (5 min. Rl) Big-ring sprints (52:15, 50:14) from 18 mph max N/A
300 – 350 m (5 min. Rl). Big-ring sprints (52:13, 50:13) from 24 mph max N/A
Cool down 15 min. Easy riding  60-70  < 68

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. (2010) Training and racing with a power meter. Boulder, CO.

Fatigue Profile zone 5c

 

It is very important to don’t “blow off” yourself at the beginning of an interval, don’t start too hard. Keep the focus on trying to keep the highest possible average power for the entire duration of the interval.

Time/Distance Description % of FTP % of FTHR
Warm-up ~ 20 min. Easy riding 65 < 70
Main set 30 sec. (4 min. Rl) All-out effort  > 200  N/A
1 min. (5 min. Rl) All-out effort > 150  N/A
2 min. (5 min. Rl) All-out effort > 140 N/A
Cool down 30 min. Easy riding 60-70 < 68

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. (2010) Training and racing with a power meter. Boulder, CO.

Fatigue Profile zone 5b

 

Remember to take more recovery between intervals if it is needed and do your best during intervals!

Time/Distance Description % of FTP % of FTHR
Warm-up ~ 20 min. Easy riding < 75 < 80
Main set 3 min. (5 min. Rl) All-out effort avg. > 118 > 106
5 min. (5 min. Rl) All-out effort avg. > 113 > 106
8 min. All-out effort avg. > 108 > 106
Cool down 30 min. Easy riding 60-70  < 68

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. (2010) Training and racing with a power meter. Boulder, CO.

3. Fatigue Resistance

 

Find the guidelines below to check your fatigue resistance at specific zones, which will help you to work on your weaknesses and race with your strengths.

Zone 6 – Neuromuscular Power
Fatigue Resistance 5 sec. 10 sec. 20 sec.
Well below average 100% 41% – 55% 61% – 75%
Below average 100% 31% – 40% 47% – 60%
Average 100% 23% – 30% 36% – 46%
Above average 100% 15% – 21% 20% – 34%
Well above average 100% 5% – 14% 8% – 19%
Zone 5c – Anaerobic Capacity
Fatigue Resistance 30 sec. 1 min. 2 min.
Well below average 100% 31% – 45% 50% – 70%
Below average 100% 25% – 30% 36% – 50%
Average 100% 21% – 24% 23% – 35%
Above average 100% 10% – 20% 15% – 22%
Well above average 100% 5% – 9% 8% – 14%
Zone 5b – VO2 Max
Fatigue Resistance 3 min. 5 min. 8 min.
Below average 100% 15% – 20% 24% – 30%
Average 100% 8% – 14% 18% – 23%
Above average 100% 4% – 7% 10% – 17%

Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. (2010) Training and racing with a power meter. Boulder, CO.

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Coach Damian

Damian is a head coach and founder of Cyklopedia, which was created with one goal to help everyone be faster cyclists by structured training plans, healthy recipes, and nutrition plans. Damian is racing and coaching for over 10 years, working with athletes all around the world.

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