Adactiv Diagnostics builds a physiological profile from a single ride. For that profile to be reliable, the test data has to be clean. What matters isn't only a high power output, but a standardised, steady and maximal effort.
So treat the test like a race: arrive rested, prepare your equipment and fueling, and take pacing seriously. Your last larger meal should ideally be 3–4 hours beforehand. Whenever possible, always use the same power meter and calibrate it before the warm-up.
A steady climb you can ride without interruptions is ideal. The more constant the conditions, the more meaningful the results.
The Quick Test
The Quick Test consists of a single maximal effort lasting 3 to 6 minutes, ideally around 5 minutes. It is the quickest way to a usable assessment.
After 15–20 minutes of warm-up with two short openers, you start the test. If you roughly know your FTP, use about 115–125 percent of FTP as a guide for a 5-minute effort. That way you start neither too defensively nor too aggressively.
What matters is a steady maximal effort. The test doesn't have to last exactly 5 minutes. A little shorter or longer is no problem, as long as you pace the effort cleanly and ride truly all-out.
Pacing
Start in a controlled way and find your highest sustainable rhythm within the first minute. The last 60–90 seconds should really hurt. If you can still clearly accelerate at the end, your start was too cautious. If you collapse badly early on, you went out too fast.
Fueling and preparation
- last larger meal 3–4 hours beforehand
- optionally 30–50 g of carbohydrates in the warm-up
- caffeine 30–60 minutes beforehand, if you tolerate it well
- same power meter, same calibration, conditions as similar as possible
The Comprehensive Test
The Comprehensive Test combines two maximal efforts and thereby delivers a more robust determination of CP and W′. There are two protocols for it. Both are established and give comparable values. Choose the one that fits your experience.
The 3' + 12' test is shorter and, for most riders, easier to ride cleanly. It suits you especially if you haven't been training for long, or if two long maximal efforts in one session ask too much.
The 5' + 20' test is the classic version, with the widest spread of durations and therefore the most precise determination. It demands pronounced fatigue resistance, because both efforts are long and both are maximal.
The 3' + 12' test
Warm-up (20–25 min). 15 min easy riding (Z1–Z2). Then 2 × 1 min at about 95 % of your expected 3-minute power with 2 min easy between. Finish with 5 min easy before starting.
Effort 1 (≈3 min). Ride one maximal effort of around 3 minutes. The exact duration matters less than an even maximal effort at the highest power you can sustain.
Recovery (20–30 min). Ride very easily, drink something and prepare for the second effort.
Effort 2 (≈12 min). Then ride one maximal effort of around 12 minutes. Here too the exact duration is secondary: what counts is an effort as even as possible at the highest power you can sustain, right to the end.
Pacing. If you know your FTP, start from 125–135 % of FTP for the 3 minutes and 108–115 % of FTP for the 12 minutes. If you don't, start the 3 minutes hard but controlled: the first minute is almost always manageable. After that, hold what you can and go truly to the limit in the last minute. Multiply the average power of those 3 minutes by 0.7. That gives you a conservative starting value for the 12 minutes, from which you can build.
Route. Ideally, ride both efforts on the same steady stretch of road without interruptions.
Cool-down. Ride easily for at least 15 minutes afterwards.
The 5' + 20' test
Warm-up (20–25 min). 15 min easy riding (Z1–Z2). Then 2 × 1 min at about 95 % of your expected 5-minute power with 2 min easy between. Finish with 5 min easy before starting.
Effort 1 (≈5 min). Ride one maximal effort of around 5 minutes. The exact duration matters less than an even maximal effort at the highest power you can sustain.
Recovery (20–30 min). Ride very easily, drink something and prepare for the second effort.
Effort 2 (≈20 min). Then ride one maximal effort of around 20 minutes. Here too the exact duration is secondary: what counts is an effort as even as possible at the highest power you can sustain, right to the end.
Pacing. If you know your FTP, start from 115–125 % of FTP for the 5 minutes and 102–108 % of FTP for the 20 minutes. If you don't, we recommend the 3' + 12' test: you can pace it by feel, and it gives you a first anchor for later tests.
Route. Ideally, ride both efforts on the same steady stretch of road without interruptions.
Cool-down. Ride easily for at least 15 minutes afterwards.
Consistency beats perfection
For comparable results, it isn't the one perfect test that counts, but a procedure that is as identical as possible. The more standardised your testing, the more clearly you see changes over time.
So pay attention as much as possible to:
- similar time of day
- similar diet and caffeine intake
- the same power meter
- similar terrain
- similar freshness
Different conditions often change performance more than you'd think. Anyone who wants to compare cleanly therefore has to test not only hard, but above all consistently.
Indoor or outdoor?
Indoor tests are very precise, because external influences such as wind, traffic or the course profile fall away. At the same time, for many riders power output indoors is somewhat lower than outdoors.
So the rule is: anyone who mostly trains and races outdoors should also test outdoors. Anyone used to indoor efforts, who rides Zwift regularly or competes in indoor races, can test indoors very well.
If you want to be on the safe side, do one test indoors and one outdoors. That way you get zones for both conditions and at the same time a better feel for how to manage your intensity depending on the environment.
Retest cadence
For most riders, a retest every 8 weeks is enough. More frequent tests often bring more fluctuation than insight; longer intervals can hide relevant progress.
Both Comprehensive protocols are well suited to cleanly comparing progress across several months.
Important: Your uploaded file forms the basis of your entire report. Ride the test rested, well fuelled and fully motivated.