Originally Posted by
baribari
Is the FTP of a trained athlete a relatively high percentage of VO2 max, or a relatively low percentage? Or am I thinking of something else entirely? Like VO2 max being a relatively high percentage of max power.
Yes, a highly trained athlete not only has a high VO2 max power, but an FTP that is a high % of the VO2 max power.
As an example, a sweet spot workout might be 4 x 12 minutes at 95-98% FTP, whereas a VO2 max workout might be 6 x 3 minutes @ 120% FTP. A well trained athlete should find both interval sessions equally challenging.
If you lack muscle endurance, you'll find the sweet spot workouts to be more challenging. If you lack the lungs, you'll find the VO2 max workout to be more challenging.