FTP or LTHR?

tonysj

I'm currently reading Joe Friel's The Cyclist's Training Bible and he mentions finding your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate to find your HR zones when using a HR monitor.
I've never done the LTHR Test which sounds more painful than the FTP test I generally set zones from. My question is am I better finding my LTHR rather than continue using the FTP test?
What benefits will I get from the LTHR numbers over the FTP figure.
I'm only working my way through the book and have Allen & Coggan Training and Racing with a Power Meter to read afterwards. Also am I reading these books in the right order or should I read both together, if you understand my meaning.
Tony.

aberdeenal

Do you have a PM?

If you do then I would read the Training and Racing With A Power Meter first - it worked for me.

tonysj

AberdeenAl wrote:

Do you have a PM?

If you do then I would read the Training and Racing With A Power Meter first - it worked for me.

I'm using a tacx flow trainer for the power figures as my Garmin has my FTP and zones set so use the % of FTP and watts as the target zone. I have a PM on my road bike but only using the turbo for my training sessions at the moment.
I'm due to take the FTP test in a couple of weeks after following a 5 day / 12 week training plan.
Tony.

OnTheRopes

Do you have a powermeter, you don't say? If not then FTP is not available until you get one.
Either way I find both figures useful. LTHR will set your HR zones and in my opinion you are better off riding to a HR zone when working in zones one and two and possibly three, Above this then power is more useful.
I had my LTHR taken in a lab during a VO2 max test and I had my previously guessed LTHR spot on, you can do the test but if you are experienced you can ride a 25 mile TT pace and when settled in read off your HR.
But the 30 minute test is best, the first ten minutes settle in and bring the pace up to your time trial pace and hit the lap button at ten minutes then take the average for the next 20 trying as hard as you can, it should be fairly accurate as long as you know how to suffer lol.

Regarding books I have read both Friel first and I use info from both, Friel is good on how to setup a training plan, Allan / Coggan better for understanding power metrics and some good workouts

tonysj

I use the turbo trainers calibrated Watts but no power meter on the turbo bike which I'm using for training. I have a power meter on my road bike but I'm not currently using that for training. Thanks.
Tony.

tonysj

I may be well off the mark with this but if I'm doing a 20 minute FTP test how accurate would my average HR be during this test compared to doing a LTHR test? I tend to use my lap button on my Garmin when doing the FTP anyway and the 20 minute FTP segment is 1 lap. That should be an easy way to find and check my average HR.
Is that HR average likely to be close or way off?
Tony

OnTheRopes

Close, perhaps slightly higher than your actual. remember though that true FTHR is only measurable in the blood during the effort, usually a ramp test and is the point at which your body starts to produce more lactic acid than it can use. So this test is a best guess estimate but good enough to set heart rate zones by.
The first test will get you some zones to train to and then with experience or further tests you can tweek it. Unlike FTP I have found that my LTHR does not vary that much.

Typical Analytical

Train to a cardiac drift of 5-10%. Increase or decrease load accordingly; time or power based on what your limiters are.