When doing my cycling workout of an activity, I noted that my FTP in that video reduced considerably from a few months earlier. E.g. in A very Dark place, I achieved a FTP of 174 in Jul 2021, but only 150 now. My 4DP settings in the program remained the same. I am currently not as fit as 3 months ago, but my effort and HR during the workout were similar. Does SFest adjust the workout “instructions” to result in lower FTP number?
No.
Something else has changed. Is this lower FTP setting common to all workouts?
If you go to your athlete profile in SYSTM can you see that your 4DP values are up to date and accurate?
Have you accidentally reduced your workout percentages when starting a workout?
Maybe as a result of the intensity of AVDP being adjusted in the switch from SUF to SYSTM.
What are you using to monitor / record your FTP during the workout?
And you say
I don’t think I understand what you mean by “my FTP in that video reduced”. Where did you look to see your FTP in the video? If the 4DP numbers didn’t change, I have no idea where you are seeing reduced FTP. SYSTM doesn’t calculate FTP each time you ride. It only calculates it when you do a fitness test.
Do you mean average power for the workout?
The app does calc best average 20min power. Is that what you mean?
I checked, the 4DP settings are the same for both workouts.
So your FTP won’t have changed, then.
Following @leebo question - is it just the average 20 minute power after the workout you mean?
After the workout, you get your results, power 5 sec, 1 min, 5 mins, and the 20MINS. This 20mins result is what I am referring to
The 20mins power output measured during the workout
It’s seems natural that your 20 minute result from any given workout will be less than your 4DP FTP value, right?
Yes I refer to the 20mins power output result after the workout. The others also differ, but I think the 20 mins result is the more consistent one to compare with
Yes
I think you have this sorted, but to be totally clear: the 20 minute power for a specific workout is not your FTP. It represents the design of the workout, not your maximum 20 minute effort. With possibly a few exceptions, all of the workouts will give you a 20 minute power that is under your FTP. They are designed to maximize training stimulus without wiping you out. That should give you better fitness building results over the course of a plan.
Got it. Right. If your 4Dp settings haven’t changed and you were targetting 100% of the target power at all times (i.e. no manual adjustments) then things should not have changed.
Notwithstanding, however, @Dafydd’s correct comment: when Systm was released to replace the Sufferfest app some workouts, including AVDP, had some changes to the workout profile. The overall average intensity was indeed dropped. You referenced a workout you did in July 2021 - this was before the Systm release so if you are in Systm now then this will definitely have an impact. Thgis would not be a loss of fitness, just a slightly different workout.
I’m afraid that I don’t have any before/afters off the same 4DP profile to compare.
As a follow up note, the majority (I think?) of the workouts were not altered. There’s another thread somewhere that discussed this. If you have a details of one of these workouts that you completed last year you could compare to now and see if you observe any change?
You are correct. I am comparing teh 20 min result from previous AVDP to this one and this one is much lower . But yes, its not the same as the 4DP FTP test
I am using a Wahoo Kicker 2
I fully understand and I agree with you. But by implication are you saying that SUF adjust you 20 min power for every workout depending on your fitness?
The point is that what the app reports as your 20min power from a given instance of doing a workout is simply the highest normalised power over a 20minute period that you acheived during that instance. If you rode a workout at just 10 watts throughout, that reported number would be 10w.
It wouldn’t be a reflection of your fitness or what maximum 20min power you are capable of, it is just a reflection of what you did during that particular workout.
Hope that makes sense…