Fitness Metrics
Ok I’ve pretty much perfected the following exercise program: work out just enough as to always stay sore but not enough to make any real progress. I had an interesting discussion today in the surgeons lounge with a cardiologist regarding fitness metrics. He was asking me about tracking fitness metrics during the course of a training year/cycle. He is pretty savvy and the Apple Watch has revolutionized his practice in that what would previously require a Holter monitor now only requires a stylish wrist watch and his patient’s can send him a text anytime with their heart rhythms. Pretty cool. But what about fitness? What metric do you use to capture that tidbit of data.
Here are the data contenders
Results- Can’t argue with a WIN! Race results are a nice way to record progress from year to year/race to race.
Period Track Test- For instance, You can perform a standard 20 minute warm-up run followed by 5, 1 mile intervals with 1 minute rest. Add some Heart Rate data and you can come up with an approximation of your heart training zones
TSS- Training Stress Score- originally used in cycling to quantify the duration and intensity of workout. This is then used to calculation Fitness (CTL) and Stress (ATL) in programs like Training Peaks
Lab testing- VO2Max, Lactate Threshold (involves period blood draws during exercise (typically a swim or ride), etc.
For the recreational athlete, the first three are more than adequate
