Threshold training is one of the most effective tools in a cyclist’s training regimen, offering significant gains in endurance, power, and speed. By targeting your functional threshold power (FTP)—the highest intensity you can sustain for an extended period—you can push your performance to new heights.
This post explores the science behind threshold training, provides practical advice on performing threshold rides, and discusses how to incorporate them effectively into your cycling routine.
What Is Threshold Training?
Threshold training focuses on improving your body’s ability to sustain high-intensity efforts just below the point where fatigue becomes unmanageable. This intensity level, often referred to as your “lactate threshold,” represents the balance point where lactate production and clearance are equal. Training at or near this threshold enhances your aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and efficiency, enabling you to maintain faster speeds over longer distances.
The Role of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)
Functional threshold power (FTP) serves as the benchmark for determining your training zones. It represents the maximum power you can sustain for approximately 60 minutes. Threshold training targets zones 4 and 5a, where the body is pushed to operate near its limits but still manages to sustain the effort. The result? Greater resilience, improved oxygen utilization, and the ability to handle higher intensities during races or long rides.
How to Perform a Threshold Ride
Setting Up the Workout
Threshold rides are best performed on a flat course with minimal traffic and interruptions. Alternatively, an indoor trainer provides a controlled environment for precise effort monitoring. For optimal results, complete at least four cruise interval workouts beforehand to prepare your body for the sustained intensity of threshold training.
Workout Execution
Start with a thorough warm-up lasting 10–15 minutes. Gradually increase your intensity to prepare your muscles, heart, and lungs for the demands of the session. Once warmed up, begin your threshold ride, maintaining a steady effort in zones 4 and 5a for 20 to 40 minutes. Throughout the effort, stay relaxed and aerodynamic, focusing on smooth pedal strokes and efficient breathing.
Listen to your body—your breathing should be controlled but noticeably heavier than during lower-intensity rides. Avoid spikes in power or cadence that could disrupt the rhythm of your effort. Once the workout is complete, cool down with 10–15 minutes of easy spinning to promote recovery.
The Science of Threshold Adaptations
Training at your lactate threshold elicits specific physiological changes that improve performance. Sustained threshold efforts train your body to increase the number and efficiency of mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells. This allows your muscles to generate more energy aerobically, delaying the point of fatigue.
Additionally, threshold training improves your ability to clear lactate from your muscles and bloodstream. By enhancing lactate buffering and utilization, you can maintain higher intensities without succumbing to the burn. These adaptations not only improve your threshold power but also extend your capacity for high-intensity efforts in races or challenging rides.
Threshold Training Tips for Success
Consistency Over Intensity
Threshold training requires regular and consistent practice. It’s better to perform slightly shorter, high-quality threshold rides than to overreach and compromise your recovery. Aim to include one to two threshold sessions per week, depending on your training phase and overall workload.
Precision Matters
Use tools like a power meter or heart rate monitor to gauge your effort. Maintaining a steady intensity within zones 4 and 5a is crucial for stimulating the desired adaptations. Over- or underestimating your effort can diminish the workout’s effectiveness.
Recover Adequately
Threshold training is demanding, so prioritize recovery between sessions. Incorporate rest days, light recovery rides, and proper nutrition to allow your body to repair and adapt. Skipping recovery can lead to fatigue, reduced performance, and even injury.
When to Include Threshold Training
Threshold rides are most effective during the Build 2 and Peak phases of your training plan. These periods focus on sharpening your fitness and preparing you for race-day efforts. During Build 2, threshold training lays the foundation for sustained high-intensity efforts. In the Peak phase, it enhances your ability to sustain race-winning moves and maintain top-end performance during critical moments.
Adapting Threshold Training to Your Goals
The duration and intensity of your threshold efforts can be adjusted to match your specific goals. For time trialists, threshold rides help simulate race-day conditions and refine pacing strategies. For road racers, they enhance the ability to hold wheels, bridge gaps, or maintain a breakaway. Even recreational cyclists benefit from threshold training by building the stamina needed for long, challenging rides.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Mental Fatigue
Threshold rides can be mentally taxing due to their sustained intensity. Break the session into smaller chunks mentally, focusing on reaching the next minute or interval. Visualization techniques can also help keep you motivated during long efforts.
Plateauing Progress
If you stop seeing improvements, consider varying your threshold workouts. Include over-under intervals, where you alternate slightly above and below threshold, to challenge your body in new ways. Periodically reassess your FTP to ensure your training zones remain accurate.
External Factors
External conditions such as wind, terrain, or traffic can impact outdoor threshold rides. If these factors compromise your ability to maintain consistent effort, switch to an indoor trainer where you can control all variables.
Threshold Training for Long-Term Gains
Threshold training is not a quick fix but a long-term investment in your cycling performance. The adaptations it promotes take time to develop but pay dividends in terms of speed, endurance, and resilience. Incorporating threshold rides into your training plan—whether for racing, time trials, or personal fitness—sets the stage for sustained improvement and peak performance.
Conclusion
Threshold training is a cornerstone of effective cycling preparation, delivering gains that translate directly to real-world performance. By pushing your limits just enough to stimulate adaptation, threshold rides build the endurance, power, and mental toughness needed to excel in any cycling discipline.
Whether you’re aiming for race-day success or personal milestones, mastering threshold training will elevate your riding to new heights.
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