Can someone explain MAP test results?

Variado

Hi folks. I recently volunteered as a test subject for my local university sports science department, and amongst other things did two MAP tests (separated by a couple of weeks) on a SRM static bike. Protocol was 20 minute warm up (first ten at up to 150W, second ten at 100W), then start at 100W, hold constant cadence (80/min) with power increasing by 25W every minute. Was also coupled up to stuff to measure breathing but not sure about the results from that.

Anyway, both times I cracked about 15-30 seconds into the 350W step, couldn't hold cadence which just slowly ground down below 70 until I stopped trying. Heart rate was 196 the second time (didn't look the first time). Both times I found it easy going up to 275W, which I could have held for a while. 300W was hard work, 325W very hard and I would have struggled to sustain a second minute at that load. 350W, no way.

I'm a purely recreational cyclist, male, fairly fit, mid-late 30s, 5' 10.5", 146lbs, don't TT or race but do around 75-150km per week in the south downs. Just curious what the results mean, as I know almost nothing about training with power (or training, full stop, really). Didn't think to ask at the time.

Bronzie

Read more about MAP testing and the results here:

http://www.cyclecoach.com/index.php?opt ... Itemid=112

If you have access to a powermeter (which obviously you don't), you can set your training zones in relation to your MAP:



You can also "benchmark" yourself using power at FTP per kg of body weight on the following:
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/media/694 ... ing_v4.xls

Alex_Simmons/RST

Your MAP would be between 325 & 350 watts, say 330W.

At your body mass, that's ~ 20.2 W/kg^2/3, which is about an average fitness level for a male cyclist.

Untrained is < ~15 W/kg^2/3
World class Pro tour (men) is > ~29 W/kg^2/3

Variado

Thanks guys, makes sense - 80% of MAP would therefore be around 260W, which certainly marked the point at which it was going from "could do this all day" to "starting to become a workout". 275W was ok, would probably have been fine for 10+ minutes although not sure I could have sustained it for the full 30 minutes of a 10-mile TT.

At your body mass, that's ~ 20.2 W/kg^2/3, which is about an average fitness level for a male cyclist.

Average, sounds like me

Alex_Simmons/RST

Variado wrote:

Thanks guys, makes sense - 80% of MAP would therefore be around 260W, which certainly marked the point at which it was going from "could do this all day" to "starting to become a workout". 275W was ok, would probably have been fine for 10+ minutes although not sure I could have sustained it for the full 30 minutes of a 10-mile TT.

Typically, FTP (1-hr TT power) falls within 72-77% of MAP. It can be higher or lower but that is the typical range.