FTP estimate not generating (WITH power meter, heartrate strap, and VO2 max estimate)

I already posted another question about FTP, but since then I learned some more details, so the question has changed.

When I look it up at the support pages it says the following:

Why Am I Not Getting an Updated FTP Estimate Reading for My Recorded Activity?

A new FTP estimate will only be generated outside of a guided FTP test if the following conditions are met:

- FTP Auto Calculation is enabled (refer to your owner's manual) Not a setting, but it does say I can get an FTP based on power and heartrate. I also have the required VO2 Max estimate.

- Activity must include heart rate data from either a built-in optical heart rate sensor or from a chest strap Check, Garmin HRM-Pro strap.

- 95% of the average power for a 20-minute interval within the ride must be greater than the current FTP setting. I got an new FTP on Zwift of 227 from my ride today, and my FR 945 LTE recorded a new 20 min. average record of 238 watts.

- The average power for that interval of time must be greater than the previous 20-minute power record. There was no previous power record.

So what am I missing here...?

0 R_Tellis over 3 years ago

There is a setting but it’s not FTP specific. You need to go to “Physiological Metrics” and select “Auto Detection” which will automatically find FTP for cycling and LTHR for running without doing the guided tests for those metrics.

0 EdeB over 3 years ago in reply to R_Tellis

Thanks! Can you also tell me where I can find these settings?

EDIT: did find a LTHR setting that I have now changed to 'auto detect', is that it?

EDIT 2: found the FTP setting as well! Thanks again! Hope this works.

0 EdeB over 3 years ago in reply to EdeB

Still no succes. I have enabled FTP auto calculation, I used the HRM-Pro, I even got a new 20 minute record today (236 watts, deleted all records prior), and this is higher than my default FTP of 200. So I think I ticked all the boxes, right?

0 R_Tellis over 3 years ago in reply to EdeB

From what I can see that ride should’ve generated a result. How are you measuring power, and how are the results getting in to Garmin? Are you letting the Zwift activity upload to Connect and not recording directly on your watch? If so that could be the issue. Although you can now do this the Zwift activity won’t contribute to your Training Load/Training Status stats so might not work for generating FTP results either.

If you don’t use Strava you can ignore the next pareagraph.

I always dual record when using Zwift. I pair my power meter to Zwift with Bluetooth and my watch with Ant+. I let Zwift upload to Strava but not Connect and let the watch activity save to Connect. As long as you wait to save the watch activity after Zwift is done saving and you start and end the watch activity within a few seconds of when the Zwift timer starts and ends Strava will recognize the duplicate and ignore the Garmin file.

The Zwift FTP of 227 lines up with 95% of 236 so that’s solid at least.

0 EdeB over 3 years ago in reply to R_Tellis

Thanks again for your reply. I'm measuring power through a smart trainer (Stages SB20), heartrate through HRM-Pro, and recording the activity on my watch as Indoor Cycling. The smart trainer sends watts, cadence, distance and speed to the watch. In the last weeks I recorded both on my watch and Zwift, but didn't see any use in keeping the Zwift activity, so I disconnected the upload and only record on my watch for Garmin Connect now. Not using Strava btw.

For a moment I thought I should try a longer run to see if 20 min.+ would make a difference, but then again, it does record a new 20 min. average watts, so I would expect a new FTP along with that.