Your training data tells a story. Most cyclists never decode it.
Watts alone are not enough. A cyclist who produces 350W for 5 seconds and 280W for 20 minutes is a fundamentally different physiological animal from one who produces 500W for 5 seconds and 220W for 20 minutes — even if their FTP is identical. Power profiling, as developed by Andy Coggan and Hunter Allen, makes that distinction systematic.
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The Coggan power profile model maps performance across four time domains that correspond to distinct energy system contributions:
Neuromuscular power (5 seconds): Peak sprint power, dominated by phosphocreatine and fast-twitch motor unit recruitment. Elite values: 19–24 W/kg for male sprinters. This is almost entirely genetic — trainable by <15% in experienced athletes.
Anaerobic capacity (1 minute): W-prime (W'), the curvature parameter of the critical power model, representing the total work that can be done above critical power. Elite values: 20–40 kJ absolute. Trainable via above-CP interval work.
Maximal aerobic power (5 minutes): Essentially the power at VO2max. Reflects both cardiac output and peripheral oxygen extraction. Elite values: 6.4–7.2 W/kg in professional climbers. Trainable via supra-threshold intervals.
Functional threshold power (20–60 minutes): The lactate steady-state proxy. Elite values: 5.7–6.2 W/kg road TT specialists. Trainable via sustained high-volume work at threshold and just below.
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Mapping your four values against the Coggan profiling chart reveals your phenotype. Coggan identified four archetypes:
- Sprinter: Neuromuscular and anaerobic values >> aerobic values. Excels in sprint finishes, criteriums, track events.
- Time Trialist: Flat aerobic profile. High FTP and 5-minute power relative to sprint. Excels in TTs, breakaways.
- Climber: High W/kg FTP with proportionate 5-minute power but limited sprint. Excels in long climbs.
- Pursuiter: Balanced across all four domains with particular strength in 1–5 minute range. Excels in track pursuit, punchy attacks.
The profiling exercise has direct training implications. A sprinter with an aerobic ceiling limiting their FTP has a different priority than a time trialist whose sprint deficit means they get outkicked in every bunch finish.
The critical insight from Coggan: train your limiter in base, protect your strength in race prep. If you are a climber who finishes poorly, 4–8 weeks of anaerobic capacity work (short maximal efforts with full recovery) in the pre-competition mesocycle can shift your profile meaningfully. Attempting this during the competition phase is too costly in cumulative fatigue.
Power profile reassessment should occur every 6–8 weeks during a structured season. Neuromuscular values change slowest; FTP-range values respond quickest to specific training. Do not test fatigue-limited attempts — each domain requires a fresh, tapered performance to be interpretable.
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The FTP anchor point is the foundation of the entire profiling exercise — without a reliable FTP number, your intensity zones and power-to-duration relationships are distorted. For cyclists building or validating their FTP, the free calculator at winsport.uk/tools/cycling/ftp-calculator estimates training zones and provides the critical power anchor from which a complete Coggan power profile can be constructed.
What does your power profile reveal about your phenotype — and is your current training targeting the right energy system?