General Discussion Triathlon Talk » power meter question: how do to use TSS? Rss Feed  
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2010-08-11 9:32 AM

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Elite
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Miami
Subject: power meter question: how do to use TSS?
i had the following workout below, starting to analyze my power data more, how do I use the TSS score to assist with analysis?

wu 13'
5' 30" H / 30" E
5' .75 ftp
10' 237w 1.07
10' 230w 1.04
10' 230w 1.04
cd 13'


workout
Ave 194w
NP 206w
TSS 96.8


2010-08-11 9:51 AM
in reply to: #3036724

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Champion
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Subject: RE: power meter question: how do to use TSS?
I will sometimes aggregate my TSS for the week to see how it compared to the previous week(s).  This gives me a better perspective of the type of riding I did that week as opposed to just looking at the distances or times. 
2010-08-11 10:04 AM
in reply to: #3036772

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Elite
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Subject: RE: power meter question: how do to use TSS?
ADollar79 - 2010-08-11 9:51 AM I will sometimes aggregate my TSS for the week to see how it compared to the previous week(s).  This gives me a better perspective of the type of riding I did that week as opposed to just looking at the distances or times. 


during the week i usually do interval riding like the workout above...so you look at the TSS from similar bike workout you would have done last week?
2010-08-11 10:06 AM
in reply to: #3036724

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Champion
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Subject: RE: power meter question: how do to use TSS?
Some good reading on TSS.

here
and
here
2010-08-11 10:51 AM
in reply to: #3036724

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Coach
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Subject: RE: power meter question: how do to use TSS?

TSS* - Training Stress Score developed by A Coggan based on Banister's TRIMPS impulse model and it takes into consideration exercise duration x average power x intensity-dependent weighting factor (aka IF). The TSS is predicated upon Coggan's concept of Normalized Power (NP) which was developed to address a point obvious to those training using a power meter: the average power (AP) for a specific session is not necessarily indicative of athlete strain unless the effort is keep fairly constant (little power output variation).

However when a session is highly variable the actual metabolic cost or NP might be higher of what the AP indicates. To account for this difference Coggan uses a weighted power output with a fourth power and it makes possible to better comparisons between training sessions; hence Coggan’s 4th power weighted average normalizes the power output and NP allows us to quantifying the metabolic cost of a particular session (how hard it was in out body).

Coggan suggest how TSS can be used as a “predictor of how much glycogen was utilized in a workout”. Basically 100 TSS feels roughly the same for your body to going 1 hour all out at your maximal sustainable power. The beauty and usefulness for Coggan’s system is that it effectively relates lactate concentration to power output, without the need of invasive testing (blood extraction).

The obvious application using TSS is to quantify the overall training load by using the number of TSS points an athletes accumulates over a given period of time (day, week, month). i.e. if you keep track of your daily TSS, over time, you might be able to identify your particular limit training load wise. IOW how much works and what kind of is too much in a day, week, month, etc. More precisely, it can allow you to keep track of the maximum quantity/quality of training and this might lead you to greater improvements, while at the same time help you avoid overtraining. Also, a high TSS resulting from a single training session/race may be an indicator that additional recovery could be required and can help you identify from what type of sessions your body requires the most recovery time.

The system has its limitations and it should be used it with caution in the sense that until the athlete/coach gains experience not only regarding the method but also with how the TSS relates to the athlete’s particular needs/limitations; it can be difficult to say exactly what a what’s the optimal TSS for you.

To make better use of TSS, just keep track of what you accumulate per day, week, etc based on your current training (using wko+ or RaceDay can help). Make notes from those session that it takes your legs longer to feel back to normal, make notes when your recovery slows down due to poor nutrition (before, while and/or after training), make notes when you get sick or when DOMS lingers for longer than usual. All this can speed up the process to help you understand your body limitations and when you might need an extra easy/recovery day and when you can soldier up and keep pushing. Eventually this can also lead you to learn how much load (weeks/months) you might need to get in great racing shape!

* Similar to TSS, Philip Skiba develop BikeScore which is pretty much the same though instead of using a weighted average moving power every 30 seconds as TSS does, he uses a 25 seconds based upon the fact that this should track consistently with oxygen kinetics. In the end, both can be used to quantify load and make better training decisions. The same can be applied to running using GPS/pedometer and using rTSS or Skiba’s GOVSS

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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » power meter question: how do to use TSS? Rss Feed