TSS... Otherwise known as Training Stress Score, is a scoring system for all of your training which takes into account the duration and intensity of a workout. To simplify it, it's a way of quantifying the amount of workload from a training session. By taking duration and intensity into account, TSS then allows us to have a better understanding of the cost effect for any individual or from any workout.
So how do we work it out?
Cycling TSS = (sec x NP x IF) / (FTP x 3600) x 100
sec = the duration of the workout n seconds
NP = Normalised Power
IF = Intensity Factor
FTP = Functional Threshold Power
3600 = the number of seconds in an hour
Running rTSS = (sec x NGP x IF) / (FTP x 3600) x 100
sec = the duration of the workout n seconds
NGP = Normalised Graded Pace
IF = Intensity Factor
FTP = Functional Threshold Pace
3600 = the number of seconds in an hour
Swimming sTSS = (NSS x IF) / (FTP x 3600) x 100
NSS = Normalised Swim Speed
IF = Intensity Factor
FTP = Functional Threshold Pace
3600 = the number of seconds in an hour
It’s worth defining and understanding this equation so you have an idea of why TSS is so accurate, and how the final score is derived. The components that comprise TSS are what make it so valuable for athletes. Normalised Power/Graded Pace/Swim Speed provides a better measure of the true physiological demands of a training session. It considers both rapid changes in intensity, as well as critical responses in the body associated with those changes. Intensity Factor (IF) is the ratio of Normalized Power/Graded Pace/Swim Speed to threshold power/pace (FTP). IF takes into account differences in fitness within or between individuals.
It’s a great way to track fitness over time for a given effort, i.e. the same ride with a lower IF indicates increased fitness. Using TSS provides a well-rounded look into both the physiological expenditure of an effort, as well as what that effort means for the fitness and progression of an athlete.
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Instagram: @mdewhursttri
Email: md@innerfight.com
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