How to track progress using ventilatory thresholds?

PAIRFS
3 days ago
3 min read

Why track progress other than through power?

Most athletes assess their progress using:

the FTP ,
the average speed ,
power on the climb ,
heart rate ,
or simply their feelings.

These indicators are useful…But they measure performance , not physiology .

But what truly makes an athlete progress is how they:

its metabolism uses fats,
its mitochondria adapt,
Its ventilation becomes more efficient.
Its thresholds are shifting.

👉 Ventilatory thresholds (VT1 & VT2) are the most accurate and sensitive indicators to track your progress.

Measure your thresholds with ZoneX

1. VT1 & VT2: the best progress markers

🔹 VT1 — Your ability to use fats

When VT1 rises, it means:

improved lipid oxidation
base endurance on the rise
Less fatigue in Zone 2
faster recovery

This is the marker of aerobic transformation.

🔹 VT2 — Your tolerance to acidosis

When VT2 rises, it indicates:

improved anaerobic capacity
longer time before acidosis
higher sustainable intensity
improvement of the lactate threshold

This is the key marker of performance in uphill and time trials.

🔹 The gap VT1 → VT2

A wider gap means:

solid aerobic base
intensity “tempo” better managed
better resilience in hilly cyclosportive events
improved metabolic stability

Measure your thresholds with ZoneX

2. How do you know if you are making progress?

Here are the 6 most reliable respiratory indicators to monitor your progress.

✔ 1. VT1 increases

You remain in the lipid pathway for a longer period.

➡️ You handle long outings better.

✔ 2. VT2 increases

You can sustain a higher intensity.

➡️ Your climbs, your times and your races are improving.

✔ 3. Your zones are moving

Zone 2 higher
More comfortable tempo zone
More stable threshold zone

Your training becomes more effective at the same intensity .

✔ 4. Your breathing becomes more stable

→ Fewer respiratory deviations

→ Less hyperventilation

→ Better breath control

✔ 5. The respiratory cost of a given intensity decreases

At the same power level, you ventilate less

→ sign of strong metabolic adaptation.

✔ 6. Your respiratory recovery is improving

Your breathing rate drops more quickly after exertion. → a sign of better cardiorespiratory efficiency.

3. Why is it more reliable than heart rate or FTP?

Heart rate varies with:

the heat
stress
fatigue
dehydration

→ It is not a good marker of metabolic progression.

FTP varies depending on:

freshness
sleep
motivation
nutrition

→ It's a performance test, not a physiology test.

Ventilatory thresholds, on the other hand:

✔ are independent of weather conditions

✔ react directly to internal adaptations

✔ evolve even when performance varies

✔ detect progress before it's visible on the bike

👉 It is a more scientific, more stable and more sensitive indicator.

4. How to track your ventilatory thresholds with ZoneX?

ZoneX analyzes your breathing to:

automatically detect VT1 & VT2
measure your energy sectors
track the evolution of your metabolism
generate your custom zones
detect fatigue and respiratory problems
compare your tests over the weeks

With ZoneX you can:

take a test every 2–3 weeks
see immediately if you are making progress
adjust your training zones
calibrate your Zone 2, tempo and threshold sessions
Plan your preparation according to your physiological responses

👉 It's no longer "I feel better",

👉 it's “my VT1 increased by 18W and my VT2 by 12W”.

Learn more about ZoneX

Conclusion: Breathing, your best indicator of progress

Thanks to ventilatory thresholds, you can monitor:

your actual endurance
your ability to burn fat
your tolerance for intensity
your internal fatigue
your metabolic adaptation

It is a more reliable , more precise , and more scientific approach than heart rate or FTP.

👉 Progress is no longer an intuition.

👉 It becomes measurable, objective and usable.

With ZoneX, you can track this progress simply, regularly and in real-world conditions .