Long-distance triathlon glossary·Z7

Z7 : Zone 7: neuromuscular power (sprint)

Load

All-out effort lasting a few seconds : pure sprint, beyond normal power zones.

Z7 is absolute sprint: under 30 seconds, often < 10 s. Power exceeds 200-300% of FTP. It's no longer about aerobic capacity but about maximal fast-twitch fiber recruitment. In long-distance triathlon, Z7 is theoretically absent from the plan. In road or track cycling, it's the territory of finishing sprints.

In TriPaced:

In TriPaced, Z7 is not prescribed in long-distance triathlon plans. If Z7 power shows up in post-session analysis, it's either an overly aggressive hill start or a spontaneous end-of-ride sprint : interesting for neuromuscular activation, but don't repeat it mid-BUILD block.

Related terms

  • TSS : Training Stress Score
  • CTL : Chronic Training Load (fitness)
  • ATL : Acute Training Load (fatigue)
  • TSB : Training Stress Balance (freshness)
  • Sweet spot : the efficiency zone
  • Threshold : the upper sustainable limit