VO2max is the ceiling above your FTP. It's the maximum rate your body can take in and use oxygen, measured in ml/kg/min, and it determines how high your threshold power can ever climb. If you've been doing threshold work for months and your FTP won't budge, this is almost certainly why — the ceiling hasn't moved, so there's nowhere for the floor to go.
We've spent years on the podcast sitting across from the coaches and physiologists who actually train the best riders in the world — Dan Lorang, John Wakefield, Andy Galpin — and the consistent message is the same. VO2max is trainable at every age, the protocols are well-understood, and most amateur cyclists never do the work because it hurts. This guide breaks down what the research says, what the coaches prescribe, and what you can go and do this week.
In this guide:
- Why VO2max is the ceiling above FTP
- How to test your VO2max
- The best VO2max intervals for cyclists
- VO2max decline with age — and why it's reversible
- VO2max training for cyclists over 40
- What the experts say
- Frequently asked questions
Why VO2max Is the Ceiling Above FTP
Here's the thing nobody tells you about FTP. It's not an independent number. Your FTP sits at roughly 72-80% of your VO2max power. That means if your VO2max is 55 ml/kg/min, your FTP has a hard upper limit determined by that number — no matter how many sweet spot intervals you stack up.
Most amateur cyclists train threshold endlessly. Four-by-ten at FTP. Two-by-twenty. Week after week. And the number stops moving. The reason is simple: you've pushed FTP as close to the ceiling as it can get. To move FTP higher, you need to raise the ceiling first.
Dan Lorang — head of performance at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, whose athletes include Primož Roglič — doesn't let his riders sit in one training zone for months. He cycles them between VO2max blocks and threshold blocks. Raise the ceiling, then push the floor up to meet it. Raise the ceiling again. This is periodisation done properly, and it's the single biggest structural change most age-group cyclists could make to their training.
→ Read the full guide: Cycling VO2max Intervals → Read the full guide: 7 Reasons to Prioritise VO2max Training
How to Test Your VO2max
The gold standard is a lab ramp test with gas exchange analysis — a mask on your face measuring the actual oxygen you consume. That gives you a direct VO2max number in ml/kg/min.
Most of us don't have regular lab access. Here's what works instead:
| Method | Accuracy | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab ramp test (gas exchange) | Gold standard | High | Direct measurement. Worth doing once a year if accessible. |
| 5-minute max power test | Good estimate | Free | VO2max power roughly equals best 5-minute power. Use this to set interval targets. |
| 8-minute field test | Good estimate | Free | Slightly more sustainable for pacing. Multiply average power by 0.9 for estimated VO2max power. |
| Smart trainer ramp test | Reasonable | Low | TrainerRoad, Zwift, and others offer automated protocols. Useful for tracking change over time. |
The number that matters most for training isn't the ml/kg/min figure — it's your VO2max power in watts. That's what you'll use to set interval intensities. For most cyclists, VO2max power sits at 106-120% of FTP.
→ Read the full guide: Fixable Reasons Your VO2max Is Low
The Best VO2max Intervals for Cyclists
Let me be really clear about this: VO2max intervals are not complicated. The research is strong, the protocols are well-established, and the coaches I've spoken to broadly agree on the framework. The hard part is doing them.
The classic 4x4 protocol: 4 minutes at 106-120% FTP, followed by 4 minutes easy recovery. Four to five repetitions. This is the most research-validated VO2max session in the literature and the one most World Tour coaches return to as their baseline prescription.
Progression options as you get fitter:
| Session | Work | Recovery | Reps | Target Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory | 3 min | 3 min | 4-5 | 106-110% FTP |
| Standard 4x4 | 4 min | 4 min | 4-5 | 108-115% FTP |
| Extended | 5 min | 4 min | 3-4 | 106-112% FTP |
| Short/sharp | 2 min | 2 min | 6-8 | 115-120% FTP |
Here's where it gets really interesting. When I had John Wakefield on the podcast, he talked about low-cadence VO2max intervals — torque work at 40-60 RPM on a climb. A 2024 study published in PLOS ONE backed this up: the low-cadence interval group improved VO2max by 8.7% compared to 4.6% for freely chosen cadence. Same programme, same intensity, just that one difference.
Why? Low cadence forces your type 2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibres to work at aerobic intensities. Those fibres develop more mitochondria and oxidative capacity. Your aerobic engine gets bigger without adding training volume.
→ Read the full guide: Cycling VO2max Intervals
VO2max Decline with Age — and Why It's Reversible
Here's the good news. VO2max declines with age. But the rate of decline is far more within your control than most people realise.
The textbook number is roughly 10% per decade after age 30 in sedentary adults. But that number is misleading for trained cyclists. Research on masters athletes who maintain structured high-intensity training shows the decline can be cut to 5-7% per decade — and some athletes maintain or even improve their VO2max into their 50s with the right programme.
Andy Galpin, the exercise physiologist, has been clear on this: the decline is real, but the magnitude depends almost entirely on whether you keep doing high-intensity work. The cyclists who lose their VO2max fastest are the ones who drift into steady-state riding only. Long miles, moderate pace, no top end. The aerobic ceiling drops because you never ask the body to reach for it.
The practical takeaway: if you're over 40 and your VO2max has dropped, it's not a one-way door. Introduce one to two VO2max sessions per week for 6-8 weeks and most cyclists see meaningful improvement. It's fixable.
→ Read the full guide: VO2max Decline and Reversibility for Masters Cyclists → Read the full guide: VO2max Workouts for Cyclists Over 40
VO2max Training for Cyclists Over 40
The protocols don't change dramatically after 40. What changes is recovery.
A 25-year-old can stack three VO2max sessions into a week and absorb it. A 45-year-old doing the same thing is probably cooked by Thursday. The work is the same; the spacing is different.
A sensible VO2max block for masters cyclists:
| Week Pattern | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VO2max block | Rest | VO2max intervals | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Rest | VO2max intervals | Long Zone 2 |
Two quality sessions per week with genuine recovery between them. Run this for 4-6 weeks, then shift to a threshold block to consolidate the gains. This is the periodisation model Dan Lorang uses — adapted for athletes who don't have the recovery capacity of a 24-year-old Grand Tour rider, but who can still move the needle significantly.
The other factor nobody talks about enough: sleep. VO2max adaptations happen during recovery. If you're sleeping six hours and hammering intervals twice a week, you're doing the hard part and skipping the part where the body actually adapts.
→ Read the full guide: VO2max Workouts for Cyclists Over 40 → Read the full guide: VO2max Decline and Reversibility for Masters Cyclists
What the Experts Say
- Dan Lorang — Head of Performance at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, coach to Primož Roglič — on cycling between VO2max and threshold training blocks as the foundation of periodisation. "Raise the ceiling, then push the floor up."
- John Wakefield — Bora-Hansgrohe coach — on low-cadence interval protocols and why torque work at 40-60 RPM produces outsized VO2max gains. Backed by the 2024 PLOS ONE study showing 8.7% VO2max improvement.
- Andy Galpin — Exercise physiologist — on VO2max decline with age, why the textbook 10%-per-decade figure overstates the problem for trained athletes, and how structured high-intensity work preserves the aerobic ceiling.
→ Hear the conversations: All Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VO2max and why does it matter for cyclists? VO2max is the maximum volume of oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise, measured in millilitres per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). For cyclists, it matters because it sets the upper limit on your aerobic power. Your FTP — the number most of us obsess over — can only reach roughly 72-80% of your VO2max. Higher ceiling, higher potential threshold.
How do I improve my VO2max? Structured intervals at 106-120% of FTP, lasting 3-5 minutes per effort, with equal or slightly shorter recovery. The classic 4x4 protocol (4 minutes on, 4 minutes off) is the most validated session. Run one to two of these per week for 4-8 weeks in a focused block. The work needs to be genuinely hard — if you can hold a conversation, you're not there.
Does VO2max decline with age? Yes, but far less than the textbook number suggests for trained athletes. Sedentary adults lose roughly 10% per decade after 30. Masters cyclists who maintain high-intensity training can cut that to 5-7%. The key is keeping VO2max work in your programme year-round, not letting it drift out as you get older.
What are the best VO2max intervals for cycling? The 4x4 is the gold standard — 4 minutes at VO2max power (106-120% FTP), 4 minutes easy, repeated 4-5 times. Low-cadence variations (40-60 RPM) may produce greater improvement: the 2024 PLOS ONE study showed 8.7% VO2max gains for low-cadence versus 4.6% at freely chosen cadence. Start with the standard protocol and add low-cadence work as you progress.
How long does it take to improve VO2max? Most cyclists see measurable improvement within 4-6 weeks of consistent VO2max training (one to two sessions per week). The initial gains come quickly. Continued improvement over months requires progressive overload — adding a rep, extending the effort duration, or increasing the intensity.
Can I train VO2max and FTP at the same time? You can, but the coaches who produce the best results tend to separate them into blocks. A 4-6 week VO2max block followed by a 4-6 week threshold block is more effective than trying to do both every week. The VO2max work raises the ceiling; the threshold work pushes your sustainable power up toward it.