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What Is the Training Load Feature on My Garmin® Device?
Training load is the sum of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC measurements for the last 7 days. Garmin devices calculate this measurement and compares it to your longer-term training load — also taking into account your fitness level — and shows you if this load is in the optimal range.
To better understand what training load is, you need to first understand what excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is. EPOC is the phenomenon where for a period of time after exercise, your body will continue to use oxygen at a higher rate than it would otherwise at rest. When you exercise, you disturb your body’s usual state, and this disturbance requires your body to do some extra work to put things back to normal. In fact, the point of training is that after exercise, your body will build itself back up to normal and then some. It is the “and then some” — also called “supercompensation” — that makes you a little fitter and faster than you were before.
Since the oxygen used by your body is related directly to the amount of energy it uses, the EPOC measurement is perfect for quantifying how much your body’s normal state (homeostasis) is disturbed by a session of exercise. In other words, EPOC is a great measure for exercise volume or dose, since it quantifies how much work your body had to do to get back to normal — and then some.
Directly measuring EPOC requires sophisticated laboratory equipment and a lot of time. However, Firstbeat Analytics™ has created a patented method for estimating EPOC from heart rate data gathered during your workout.
What Devices Calculate and Display Training Load?
Select the following to reveal a list of devices that calculate and display training load.
List of Devices That Display Training Load
NOTE: The devices marked with an asterisk (*) only support 7 Day Training Load. They do not support Exercise Load. The Exercise Load graph/activity list in Garmin Connect will not show Exercise Load for activities recorded by these devices. For more information regarding Exercise Load, see What is the Exercise Load Feature on My Garmin® Device?.
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How Is This Information Displayed on the Garmin Device?
Training load information is displayed as a widget on the device. The available training load ranges are:
High – Based on your current fitness level and recent training habits, your training load may be too high to produce positive results.
Optimal – This range is ideal for maintaining and improving your fitness level. Keep up the good work!
Low – Your training load is low for your current fitness level and training habits. If you stay in this range, you are unlikely to see further improvement.
NOTICE: Deleting activities from your Garmin device will change what is displayed in the Training Load widget on the device, but will not impact training load data that has already been synced to Garmin Connect™.
It is true that pushing yourself is the way to get results, but overreaching and training too hard is a real possibility that is counterproductive and could even lead to injury. To learn more about EPOC and training load, view the following video:
EPOC and Training Load:
What About Training Load Focus?
In order to maximize performance and fitness gains, training should be distributed across three categories: low aerobic, high aerobic, and anaerobic. Training load focus shows you how much of your training is currently in each category and provides training targets. Training load focus requires at least a full week of training to determine if your training load is low, optimal, or high. After 4 weeks of training history, your training load estimate will have more detailed target information to help you balance your training activities.
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To learn more about training load focus, review this video:
Training Load Focus:
The available training load focus ranges are:
Below Targets – Your training load is lower than optimal in all intensity categories. Try increasing the duration or frequency of your workouts.
Low Aerobic Shortage – Try adding more low aerobic activities to provide recovery and balance for your higher intensity activities.
High Aerobic Shortage – Try adding more high aerobic activities to help improve your lactate threshold and VO2 max over time.
Anaerobic Shortage – Try adding a few more intense, anaerobic activities to improve your speed and anaerobic capacity over time.
Balanced – Your training load is balanced and provides all-around fitness benefits as you continue training.
Low Aerobic Focus – Your training load is mostly low aerobic activity. This provides a solid foundation and prepares you for adding more intense workouts.
High Aerobic Focus – Your training load is mostly high aerobic activity. These activities help to improve lactate threshold, VO2 max, and endurance.
Anaerobic Focus – Your training load is mostly intense activity. This leads to rapid fitness gains, but should be balanced with low aerobic activities.
Above Targets – Your training load is higher than optimal, and you should consider scaling back the duration and frequency of your workouts.
