Pacing the sprint
All out means all out from the start. Holding back to finish strong turns the sprint into a steady 30-second effort: that's a different session, supramaximal 30 s intervals.
CyclingSprint and anaerobicIntermediate 39 min
All-out 30-second sprints on the bike (4 × 30 s)
30-second sprint intervals, or sprint interval training: four all-out sprints on the bike, each followed by 4 very easy minutes. Two minutes of work in a 39-minute session. A heavily studied format, mostly for what it does for endurance.
Session profile11 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 39 min
- Main target
- 150–250%FTP7 Z7 · Neuromusc.
- Time at target
- 2 min
- Estimated load
- 30
- Structure
- 4 × 30″ at 150–250% FTP, 4′ recovery
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Power meter · Smart trainer
The session in detail
FTP
Time in zone
- Z127 min
- Z210 min
- Z72 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | FTP 200 W | FTP 250 W | FTP 300 W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150–250% | 7Neuromusc. | 2 min | 300–500 W | 375–625 W | 450–750 W |
| 40–50% | 1Recovery | 12 min | 80–100 W | 100–125 W | 120–150 W |
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Wattson works out the targets from your FTP and sends the session to your Garmin, Wahoo, Coros or Suunto.
What this session is for
Each all-out sprint empties your muscles' fast energy stores in seconds. Repeat that a few times and it sets off adaptations you'd expect from long rides: muscles that use oxygen better, more endurance. It also builds your anaerobic capacity, the engine for brutal efforts of a few dozen seconds.
Martin Gibala's group in Canada made the format famous by comparing it with classic endurance training. It doesn't replace your long rides, though: the studies lasted a few weeks and mostly involved active people, not trained cyclists.
Who it's for
Healthy riders, intermediate or above, already used to hard efforts. It suits riders short on time: the whole session fits into 39 minutes. You need a recently measured FTP to set the recoveries; the sprints themselves are flat out, with no ceiling.
When to do it
One or two sessions a week is a common guideline, on fresh legs, after an easy day or a rest day. Avoid the day before a long ride, another hard session or a race. To progress, add one sprint over the weeks, up to 6, rather than jumping straight there.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min5′ at 45–55% FTP + 5′ at 56–65% FTP + 5′ at 66–75% FTP
15 minutes building from 45 to 75% of FTP, in 5-minute steps. On a smart trainer, leave ERG mode before the first sprint: pick a high fixed resistance or a big gear. In ERG, the trainer holds you to a set power instead of letting you sprint.
Main set
14 min4 × 30″ at 150–250% FTP, 4′ recovery
Four 30-second sprints, flat out from the first pedal stroke. Kick off from a moderate pace, seated or out of the saddle, and hold on to the end. Your power will fade over the 30 seconds: that's normal, don't try to keep it flat. The average often lands between 150 and 250% of FTP, or 375 to 625 W for an FTP of 250 W, but that's a guide, not a ceiling. Between sprints, 4 genuinely easy minutes at 40–50% of FTP, or 100 to 125 W: keep the legs turning without pushing.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 40–55% FTP
10 very easy minutes at 40–55% of FTP. Note the average of each sprint: a slight drop from first to last is normal. If the fourth falls apart, the recoveries were probably too hard, or the warm-up too short.
How it should feel
The first 15 seconds go by quickly. The last 10 are some of the longest you'll spend on a bike: legs on fire, cadence collapsing, and you're still gasping well after you stop. The recovery feels too short at first, then only just long enough. Guide: 10 out of 10.
Common mistakes
Staying in ERG mode
ERG mode sets the power: it stops you producing a real sprint, then letting the power fade. Use a high fixed resistance or a big gear, and pedal against the load.
Pushing the recoveries
The 4 minutes are there to refill the tank, not to keep the tempo up. Ride them too hard and they steal from the next sprint, and the session loses what makes it work: genuinely maximal sprints.
Jumping to 6 sprints too soon
The starting format is 4 sprints. Adding one at a time over the weeks gives your legs time to catch up. Going straight to 6 mostly means finishing the session on watered-down sprints.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A recently measured FTP.
- Experience of hard efforts, on the bike or in another sport.
Skip it if
- You're tired, or a long ride, hard session or race is planned for the next day.
- You have doubts about your health: get medical advice before maximal efforts.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Good evidenceLevel 4 of 5
Burgomaster, Gibala and colleagues (J Appl Physiol 2005): in active people, 6 sessions of 4 to 7 × 30-second sprints over 2 weeks doubled endurance time at about 80% of VO₂peak. Gibala and colleagues (J Physiol 2006): muscle adaptations and time-trial gains comparable to 6 sessions of 90 to 120 minutes of moderate endurance, for about 90% less training volume. In these studies, the sprints were ridden on a fixed-resistance ergometer using the Wingate protocol, at about 250% of power at VO₂peak, with 4 minutes of recovery. Limit: in well-trained female runners (Helgerud and colleagues, Scand J Med Sci Sports 2023), 30-second running sprints did not improve VO₂max. The 150–250% FTP range, the recovery intensity, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: good evidence, mostly in non-cyclists.
Sources
- Burgomaster K. A., Gibala M. J. et al., J Appl Physiol 2005
- Gibala M. J. et al., J Physiol 2006
- Helgerud J. et al., Scand J Med Sci Sports 2023
Frequently asked questions
What power should 30-second sprints be ridden at?
Flat out, without aiming for a number. A sprint's average often lands between 150 and 250% of FTP: 300 to 500 W for an FTP of 200 W, 375 to 625 W for 250 W, 450 to 750 W for 300 W. Those figures are for checking afterwards, not for holding you back. The recoveries are set at 40–50% of FTP.
Are four 30-second sprints really enough?
Enough to trigger adaptations, yes, in active people: over a few weeks, this format improved endurance as much as far longer rides. In already trained cyclists, the effect is less well documented. These sprints complement your endurance riding; they don't replace it.
30-second sprints or a Wingate test: what's the difference?
The Wingate test is a single 30-second sprint, designed to measure your peak power and how much you lose along the way. The session strings four together, with 4 minutes of recovery, to train. Same movement, different purpose.
Why such a long recovery between sprints?
Because every sprint has to stay maximal. After 30 seconds flat out, your fast energy stores take several minutes to rebuild. With a shorter recovery the next sprints would be weaker and the session would change character. Four very easy minutes is the recovery used in the studies.
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