Training load is a concept that is fundamental to both the performance and recovery of individuals engaging in physical activity. In simple terms, training load refers to the volume of exercise a person is doing across a period of time. Whether you are just starting out or you are an experienced athlete, understanding training load can be the key to maximising progress while minimising the risk of injury.
1. Training Load for People New to Exercise
For individuals who are new to exercise, the concept of training load is crucial to ensure that physical activity is both effective and sustainable. When starting a new exercise program, the body may be unaccustomed to the physical stress placed on it, so it can be helpful to carefully manage your training load to avoid overwhelming the muscles, joints, and cardiovascular system. For beginners or people who are returning to physical activity after a break, this means gradually introducing exercise (building strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility) in a safe way. Training load should emphasise progress in small, manageable increments to give the body the opportunity to adapt.
Key Considerations for Beginners:
- Start Slow and Gradual
The most common mistake for beginners is overexertion, which can lead to injury e.g. tendinitis. Starting with moderate-intensity exercise—such as walking, cycling, or resistance training—can help build a fitness base without overwhelming the body. A beginner could start with around 2-3 sessions per week, gradually increasing the challenge or the frequency as they improve.
- Listen to Your Body
Early on, it is important to monitor how your body responds to each workout. Muscle soreness can be normal, but if you experience sharp pain or, inflammatory pain, or other signs of injury, it’s essential to ease off and allow time for recovery. A focus on recovery and rest can be just as important as the workout itself.
- Increase Load Gradually
To avoid overloading the body, aim to increase training load (e.g. frequency, intensity, duration, resistance level) by small increments each week. This will vary per individual. Maintaining a steady progression helps the body adapt to the increased demands, reducing the risk of injury as you build strength / endurance etc.
- Training Variety
New exercisers can benefit from incorporating a variety of exercises to target different muscle groups and prevent overuse injuries. For example, combining walking with light weight training or yoga can provide a balanced approach that strengthens both the cardiovascular system and muscles while promoting flexibility.
2. Training Load for Athletes Increasing Exercise Intensity
For athletes who are increasing their training load, the approach to managing training load becomes more sophisticated and individualised. Athletes typically have higher training volumes and intensity, and their bodies have already adapted to a basic level of fitness. However, increasing training load too quickly without proper planning can lead to injury, burnout, or overtraining. On the other side, under-estimating the training load requirements of their sport can leave athlete's under-performing or more prone to injury.
What is Training Load for Athletes?
For athletes, training load involves not only the physical intensity but also the mental and emotional demands of increased training. The goal is to maximise performance improvements while maintaining overall health. Unlike beginners, athletes often engage in sport-specific training and have established goals, making training load a more complex equation involving technical skills, strength, endurance, speed, and recovery.
Key Considerations for Athletes:
- Periodisation
A useful strategy for athletes is periodisation, which refers to breaking the training year into different phases. Each phase has its own focus, allowing athletes to progressively increase their load while incorporating rest and recovery phases to prevent overtraining. An example of this can be off-season training, pre-season training and in-season training.
- Monitor Intensity and Volume
For athletes increasing their load, managing the intensity of their training and the volume/frequency of their training should be considered. For example, an individual running. Tim Gabbett’s Acute-Chronic Workload Ratio is a widely used framework in sports science to manage and monitor training load and reduce the risk of injury. The concept compares the acute workload (the training load from the past 7 days) with the chronic workload (the average training load over the past 4 weeks). Gabbett’s research suggests that when the acute workload is too high relative to the chronic workload, athletes are at greater risk of injury due to insufficient adaptation. A typical recommended ratio that an acute workload is no more than 1.5 times higher than chronic workload.
- Recovery is Key
As the training load increases, so does the need for effective recovery. This includes rest days, active recovery sessions (like light swimming or stretching), sleep and nutrition. Overtraining syndrome is a risk when load increases too quickly or recovery periods are insufficient. Therefore, athletes must listen to their bodies, monitor signs of fatigue, and adjust training plans as needed.
- Individualisation and Tracking Tools
Elite athletes often use tracking tools (such as GPS devices, wearable heart rate monitors or exertion rating scales) to monitor training load. Some of these methods provide real-time data, allowing athletes to adjust training intensity and volume to avoid fatigue while optimising performance. In addition, individualisation is key—what works for one athlete may not work for another, so it can be useful to consider personalised plans that take into account individual recovery needs and training history.
- Tapering and Rest
As an athlete approaches a competition or race, strategic tapering (reducing training load) allows the body to fully recover and peak at the right moment. Tapering can involve reducing both the volume and intensity of exercise in the final weeks leading up to a big event.
Conclusion
Understanding training load is critical for both beginners and athletes who are increasing their exercise. For newcomers to exercise, the focus should be on starting slowly, listening to the body, and making gradual increases in intensity and duration to build fitness safely. For athletes, managing training load requires careful periodisation, tracking, and recovery to ensure peak performance without the risk of overtraining or under-training. Regardless of your experience level, finding the right balance between load and recovery is the key to achieving sustainable, long-term progress in physical fitness.
If you’re recovering from an injury or would like help to optimise your own training load you are very welcome to contact us here: www.restorephysio.ie or [email protected].
