Are you an athlete who trains hard every day, but the results just aren’t coming, or they’re not what you hoped for?
You put in hours and hours each week, yet you constantly feel tired, exhausted, like you’re training in vain?
Frustration builds because you know you can do better, but something isn’t working. You ask yourself what you’re doing wrong, why your progress seems stuck despite all your efforts.
You’re not alone. I’ve been there, and many other athletes, just like you, find themselves trapped in this cycle of fatigue, injuries, and lack of improvement.
This is where a powerful tool like TrainingPeaks, with its indicators TSS, CTL, ATL, and TSB, comes into play: tools that can finally give you the answers you’re looking for.
But what do these parameters mean, and how can they help you break this vicious cycle and achieve your goals?
What is TSS? (Training Stress Score)
The Training Stress Score (TSS) is a value that quantifies the effort of each training session. It’s based on three main factors: duration, intensity, and your current fitness level. Simply put, the more intense or longer a workout is, the higher your TSS will be.
TrainingPeaks calculates this value to give you a clear idea of how demanding the workout was compared to your maximum potential.
A high TSS means you’ve pushed your body beyond its usual workload, while a lower value might suggest you completed a light or recovery activity. TSS allows you to monitor your overall workload and adjust your training accordingly to avoid overloading.
What is CTL? (Chronic Training Load)
Chronic Training Load (CTL) represents your long-term fitness level. It’s a weighted average of your TSS over a 42-day period (roughly six weeks). The higher your CTL, the fitter you are.
However, this doesn’t mean you should always aim to push your CTL to the max—a rapid increase can lead to the risk of overtraining.
CTL is fundamental because it helps you understand how fit you really are and how accustomed your body is to handling intense workloads. If your goal is to improve performance, you need to steadily work on increasing your CTL while paying attention to recovery and gradual progression.
What is ATL? (Acute Training Load)
Acute Training Load (ATL) is similar to CTL, but it measures short-term fatigue. It’s calculated as the average of your TSS over the past seven days. ATL tells you how tired or stressed your body is from recent workouts.
A high ATL means you’re under a significant workload, which can be beneficial for improvement, but only if balanced with adequate recovery.
Monitoring ATL helps you recognize when your body might need a break or an active recovery session to avoid slipping into chronic fatigue or overtraining.
What is TSB? (Training Stress Balance)
Lastly, there’s Training Stress Balance (TSB), which might be the most interesting parameter for athletes. TSB is the difference between your CTL and ATL.
In essence, it measures your freshness: a positive TSB means your body is ready to perform, while a negative TSB indicates that you’re fatigued and might need to recover.
A positive TSB before an important race or key training session is ideal to ensure your body is primed to perform at its best. On the other hand, if your TSB is negative for an extended period, it might be time to slow down and allow your body to recover.
How to Use These Data to Improve Your Performance
Now that you understand the meanings of TSS, CTL, ATL, and TSB, how can you use them to improve your performance? Here are some practical tips:
Balance your training load: Use TSS to monitor how much stress you’re placing on your body. If your weekly TSS is too high for too long, you risk overtraining. Plan recovery weeks to maintain a healthy balance.
Increase CTL gradually: Don’t try to raise your CTL too quickly. An increase of 5-10% per week is generally safe and sustainable. This will help you improve your fitness level without risking injury.
Manage fatigue with ATL: If you notice your ATL is constantly high, incorporate active recovery or complete rest days. This will prevent chronic fatigue and help maintain motivation.
Plan with TSB: If you have a race or important event, plan so that your TSB is positive in the days leading up to it. This ensures you’ll be fresh and ready to perform at your best.
Optimize Your Training with TrainingPeaks
If you’re not achieving the results you want despite your hard training, it’s likely that you’re not effectively monitoring your workload and recovery. TSS, CTL, ATL, and TSB give you a detailed view of your physical state, allowing you to make informed decisions about your training.
IMPORTANT: Since these parameters are so crucial, it’s essential that you consistently update the platform by logging all your workouts and available data.
TrainingPeaks helps with this by allowing you to connect your devices, which will automatically upload your training data to the platform. But I’ll explain this another time…
Do you want to make the most of these tools and create a personalized training plan that will help you reach your goals?
Contact me for a free consultation, where I’ll create a training session for you, and together we’ll optimize your free profile on TrainingPeaks.
Find out how I can help you go From Zero To Hero and overcome the challenges related to your performance!
Best regards and…
“Sempre in Forma!”
Dr. Roberto Pusinelli
IG: @dr.robertopusinelli_nutricoach
