Training Load & Recovery Calculator

Calculate your Acute Training Load (ATL), Chronic Training Load (CTL), Training Stress Balance (TSB), and estimated recovery time using the Banister impulse-response model.

Rate of Perceived Exertion for today's session
Total training time in minutes
Your ATL from yesterday (0 if starting fresh)
Your CTL from yesterday (0 if starting fresh)
Typically 7 days (short-term fatigue window)
Typically 42 days (long-term fitness window)
Measured this morning before getting up
Your normal well-rested resting heart rate
1 = very poor, 10 = excellent
1 = none, 10 = severe DOMS

Formulas Used

1. Session Load (sRPE TRIMP):
TRIMP = RPE × Duration (min) — Foster et al. (2001) session-RPE method.

2. Acute Training Load (ATL) — short-term fatigue:
ATLtoday = ATLprev × e−1/τATL + TRIMP × (1 − e−1/τATL)
Default τATL = 7 days.

3. Chronic Training Load (CTL) — long-term fitness:
CTLtoday = CTLprev × e−1/τCTL + TRIMP × (1 − e−1/τCTL)
Default τCTL = 42 days.

4. Training Stress Balance (TSB):
TSB = CTL − ATL
Positive = fresh/recovered; Negative = fatigued.

5. ATL:CTL Ratio:
Ratio = ATL / CTL — Values >1.5 indicate high overreaching risk.

6. Recovery Score (composite 0–100):
Score = (TSB_score × 0.40) + (Sleep_score × 0.30) + (Soreness_score × 0.20) + (HR_score × 0.10)
TSB mapped: TSB ≥ +20 → 100, TSB ≤ −40 → 0.

7. Estimated Recovery Time:
Hours = clamp(24 × (1 − Score/100) × 4, 4, 96)

Assumptions & References

  • Based on the Banister Impulse-Response Model (Banister et al., 1975) adapted for sRPE load quantification.
  • sRPE method: Foster C. et al. (2001). "A new approach to monitoring exercise training." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15(1), 109–115.
  • ATL τ = 7 days and CTL τ = 42 days are standard defaults used in TrainingPeaks PMC; individual values may vary (Coggan, 2003).
  • TSB zones: >+25 (detraining risk), +5 to +25 (peak performance), −10 to +5 (productive training), −30 to −10 (overreaching), <−30 (overtraining risk).
  • Resting heart rate elevation >7 bpm above baseline is a recognised marker of incomplete recovery (Plews et al., 2013).
  • Recovery score weights are heuristic; clinical decisions should incorporate additional biomarkers (HRV, blood lactate, etc.).
  • This tool is for educational purposes only and does not replace advice from a qualified sports scientist or physician.

More Calculators

In the network

Network