How to Increase Your Threshold Power

The essential physiological skill in most cycling events is threshold power.

You are likely to be a successful rider if you can generate many Watts at your threshold power.

Sprinters, climbers, and time trial experts need a great threshold power. A good performance at threshold power is compulsory for winning a cycling race.

Even if you have a highly trained aerobic system, you cannot be sure of winning. Of course, tactics, technical skills, VO2 max, and sprinting prowess also matter, but having a high threshold power makes it unlikely that you will get dropped before the finish line.

There are numerous terms describing threshold power: critical threshold power, functional threshold power, anaerobic threshold, AT, threshold power, lactate threshold, etc. Most of these terms describe the well-known situation: when you ride at a certain speed, you can continue for maybe an hour, but if you ride just a little bit faster, your legs will burn up within minutes.

I think it is only of academic interest to decide the most suitable term. So instead, I will take you on a guided tour around the concept of threshold power training, including practical examples for your daily training.

What do we actually know about Threshold Power Training?

It is well-established knowledge that training with high intensity improves your ability to continue exercise without accumulating lactic acid.

This physiological skill is often the most determinant factor in endurance sports. That is probably why you are reading this article: You want to learn how to increase your threshold power because that will make you a better endurance athlete.

What is the right intensity for Threshold Power Training?

Many coaches develop training sessions targeted to improve your threshold power. Intervals with an intensity around your threshold power are the most common, and they are very time effective, too.

However, there are other ways to train, which will boost your aerobic engine.

Most of my cycling training programs are built in a way that increases threshold power using a combination of

• VO2 max intervals.
• Threshold power intervals,.
• Sub-threshold power intervals.
• Endurance rides.

Even though these training intensities are pretty different, they all improve peripheral adaptations like increased capillary density, more myoglobin, more mitochondria, better use of free fatty acids as fuel, larger glycogen stores, etc.

Is interval training necessary?

There are many concepts and ideas about how to build threshold power. Most cycling coaches have their strategy.

My training principles focus on high-intensity training methods, VO2 max, and interval training. This differs a bit from other successful cycling coaches, but most of us achieve magnificent results using a combination of the training intensities mentioned earlier. Coaches often prefer one of these intensities, or maybe they use another term for almost similar intensities.

Suppose an athlete with the right talent starts to train using any of the four above training principles and for the required duration of each training session. In that case, he will be capable of becoming a professional rider. It might sound controversial, but road cycling is not as scientific as many cycling coaches would like to think. Talented riders who train hard will always ride faster than others.

That is why some athletes carve out a professional career without ever using a cycling coach. They train hard, they eat right, and they rest and, of course, are naturally talented. Their training principles probably include more LSD training (Long Slow Distance Training as used by runners) than my training programs advise, and I have to admit that these riders become extremely strong (or at least some of them do).

I am not sure these riders will ever reach their physiological potential. Still, they might hit 98% of their optimum performance, and that is more than enough to turn them into talented and determined professionals.

Thus, it is not only a question about threshold intervals because many training intensities will increase your threshold power.

What is the real secret of successful threshold power training?

The secret to becoming a great endurance athlete is consistency. You have to work hard, be focused, and be consistent. Not just for a week, a month, or a year. It would be best if you put in consistent work over several years to build the necessary endurance to reach your full potential as an endurance athlete.

Most professional athletes have more than ten years’ heavy endurance training background. This illustrates that one of the fundamental reasons professionals are better than YOU is that they train consistently for several years.

Practical Examples on How to Increase your Threshold Power

I strongly recommend power meters and heart rate monitors as a part of serious cycling training. However, it is possible to use all of my cycling training programs and principles without a power meter or a heart rate monitor. If you do not have a power meter, please consider using a good ergometer bike, at least for preliminary testing purposes.

Many riders are searching the internet to get a quick fix to help them get closer to their goals. However, at present, no legal steps are letting you reach your full potential in record time. Please remember that the below-mentioned training methods can increase your threshold power, but they all require consistent work for an extended period before you will gain significant results.

If the concept of power meter training is entirely new to you, here is an introduction to power meter training.

The higher intensity you train at, the more benefit you will get from using a power meter. It is challenging to achieve proper pacing at intensities above your threshold power; this is where a power meter could become an appreciated training partner. If you prefer to use mainly LSD principles, it is less critical to use a power meter. A heart rate monitor would be just as effective.

VO2 Max Intervals

Intervals close to VO2 max are a potent stimulus for your aerobic system. VO2 max intervals not only improve your VO2 max power but also provide a significant boost to your threshold power. Therefore, people looking for time-effective interval training should include these intervals in their workouts.

I usually use VO2 max intervals most of the season because I work with elite riders who need sessions close to maximum oxygen consumption to achieve further progress.

Even though VO2 max is not the most critical power output, it is still desirable to learn this skill because the physiological adaptations to VO2 max training are the same as those you achieve with training at lower intensities, such as threshold power training. The most significant difference is the time needed to train to achieve the same progress.

Remember that threshold power is only a percentage of your VO2 max. The physiological skills you train with during threshold power intervals are also stimulated at VO2 max intensity. If you decide to train at a lower intensity than VO2 max, you have decided to train your aerobic system less effectively.”

Example: 3 x (3+3min) at VO2max / recovery. If you use a heart rate monitor, your heart rate should be above 95% of the maximum at the end of these intervals. If you use a power meter, your target power could be in the area of 120% of your functional threshold power or, even better, based on your 5min maximum capacity.

If you want more inspiration for VO2 max training, have a look at my VO2 Max Booster Program.

Threshold Power Intervals

Threshold power interval training is probably the most common way to increase threshold power. The principle is to know your power output or heart rate at threshold power and use these values to pace yourself at the same intensity throughout intervals. You will have to do a test or a time trial as a reference.

The most challenging part of such an interval is to stay at the right intensity throughout. Going slightly too fast at the beginning makes it impossible to maintain the right power to the end. On the other hand, if you go too slowly, you will not get the adaptations you are training for.

Threshold power intervals are challenging but effective in building a solid aerobic engine. Threshold power intervals are also suitable for becoming better at pacing for triathlons, time trials, or breakaways.

Example: 3 x (12+ 6min) at threshold power / recovery. Target heart rate should be in the range of 88-92% but depends on how you have performed at previous tests or races with a duration of ~ 1hr. Some riders can ride with a higher percentage, and others cannot make this range.

The best method to find out is to ride a 40km time trial or participate in a criterium. Then, using a power meter, you can use your functional threshold power from one of the events mentioned above to calculate your functional threshold power.

Sub-Threshold Power Intervals

VO2 max intervals and threshold power intervals are the two most time-effective ways to increase performance. But there is one major problem: high-intensity intervals only work when you finish them. If you do not maintain the correct intensity throughout the interval session, the effectiveness decreases. You will achieve better training if you choose an intensity with a higher success rate.

My experience is that the success rate of high-intensity intervals is lower than sub-maximum intensity intervals. Still, sub-threshold power intervals can offer significant improvements when made in appropriate doses. Also, there is an argument that there is a physiological sweet spot because you can train at quite a high oxygen consumption without going anaerobic. Thus, you will give a great lift to your aerobic system (and almost nothing to your anaerobic performance).

Example: 4 x 15min slightly below threshold power. If you use a heart rate monitor, stay 5-10 beats below your threshold heart rate. You could do these intervals with power output at 90-95% of your functional threshold power using a power meter.

Endurance Training

As sub-threshold power intervals can improve your aerobic system, endurance training with lower intensity can also make improvements. However, you have to work for a much longer time to achieve the desired progress. I know many of you will consider this impossible, but please remember that real LSD training has proven to make great athletes for many years.

Example: 4 to 8hours at the lower or middle part of sub-threshold intensity. You can use power meters and heart rate monitors for pacing, but often it is more a feeling of comfortable pacing throughout the distance.

What is the best way to increase threshold power?

It is a difficult question, and I think no answer fits all. My personal belief is that a combination of VO2 max and threshold power intervals is necessary for highly trained riders (professionals/elite) to make them reach their physiological potential. Even though I give these two methods a little plus, I admit that your success rate when you try these intervals is crucial. If you miss the intervals too often, it would be better to go with sub-threshold power intervals or endurance rides.

For most riders, the most secure way to build threshold power over time is to use a combination of all four training methods with sub-threshold power intervals as the most frequent interval training session.

Ok, you have managed to read this far, and I guess you are now very inspired to design some great workouts that will help you to increase your threshold power.