Anaerobic Training Effect targets very hard to achieve

I have been following the cycling Daily Suggested Workouts but I am finding I do not achieve anywhere near the estimated anaerobic training effect and the aerobic TE also falls short. I've added a screen on the watch with two fields showing aerobic and anaerobic TE so that I can see when I have reached the targets. I am using a power meter and wrist-based HR (although tried with a chest strap and results were similar).

There is some guidance here about what TE a typical workout can achieve www.firstbeatanalytics.com/.../

Also here i: https://assets.firstbeat.com/firstbeat/uploads/2015/10/white_paper_training_effect.pdf

and here in DCR's presentation: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/images/2017/03/FirstBeat-GarminFeatures-DCR.pdf

Yesterday I did a VO2max session 8x2:00 w/ 1 minute rests which was estimated to yield an aerobic TE of 3.8 and anaerobic TE of 2.0. After doing the intervals my TE was 3.0/0.4. To try to achieve the target I did 15 out-of-saddle high gear uphill sprints each time letting my HR settle back down. After the sprints the TE was 3.6/1.5.

On Sat I did a Threshold session 4x7:00 w/ 4 minute rests est TE 4.2/2.0 After that workout my TE was 3.8/0.4. I did 14 uphill sprints and got the TE to 4.1/2.2.

Any clues as to what the problem is? Is the problem with the algorithm, my HR zones /FTP etc. settings, or my physiology? Is my max HR set too high so that the algorithm doesn't think I am moving between enough zones? Is my HR too laggy and I have to do the extra sprints to get the required training benefit? My VO2 max is in the top 1% for my age but my FTP is at the low end of "Good". I have read that this is probably because my Vlamax is very high and interval training will lower my Vlamax and give me more power to match my VO2max. Will this improve my anaerobic TE scores when doing intervals? Is it that the rests between the intervals are too short for me and I need longer to recover, which might improve as I reduce my Vlamax?

Top Replies

6417802 5 months ago +1

The same appens to me. I can get high TE by running but with cycling I stay very low regardless of the type of training.
If I use other platforms such as intervals.cu the training load is much higher.
Etupes25 4 months ago +1

PubBike said:
Is the problem with the algorithm, my HR zones /FTP etc. settings, or my physiology?

It is working fine for me, but yes, I am in Garmin's metrics nirvana, for real!

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Etupes25 4 months ago in reply to PubBike +1

PubBike said:
make sure I am actually hitting the power targets.

For anaerobic efforts (typically intervals between 20s and 1mn and change), you can ignore the "target" and go for full maximal but steady…

All Replies

0 Etupes25 4 months ago in reply to PubBike

PubBike said:
have deleted most of the bogus data from my power curve.

Even if you delete the activities, the data is not removed from the models. It is unclear how/whether older data falls off models like VO2 Max. For the power duration curve it is straightforward if you exceed your older performance, but I didn't check whether deleting activities removes the data from the Garmin power duration curve. At any rate, the curve as a report is not the issue, but the underlying data in the FirstBeat models.

PubBike said:
my cadence is too low also during the maximal efforts, so they aren't really maximal.

They still might be, but typically very high cadence is recommended for spring/anaerobic/neuro muscular efforts for efficiency considerations. For threshold efforts, it is less true and you can drop you cadence like you would do in a hard long climb. Stay seated for these tests. Using an indoor cycle with a good power meter makes it easier to sustain longish maximal efforts, but you should do fine if you have somewhere a moderate about steady climb long enough for a 30-40mn stretch. For threshold, intervals less than 10-15mn will not be enough. You want to stay "aerobic" (although you never stop using the anaerobic and ATP systems in reality).