Acute vs. Chronic Training Load: Finding the Right Balance
One of the key frameworks in tracking training load is understanding the relationship between acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) load. This balance, often measured using the Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR), is a well-researched way to gauge an athlete’s preparedness for training while reducing injury risk.
Acute Training Load (ATL):
The workload accumulated over a short period, 7 days. It reflects how hard an athlete has been training recently.
Chronic Training Load (CTL):
The workload accumulated over a longer period, 28 days. It represents an athlete’s overall fitness foundation and conditioning level.
The ACWR is a ratio between these two values. Studies have found that keeping the ACWR within a range of approximately 0.8 to 1.2 is optimal for maximising training volume whilst reducing the risk of having to modify training. Ratios above 1.5 indicate a sharp increase in workload, which can decrease your ability to keep training at an optimal level.
Note: We use EWA (Exponential Working Average) as this biases the results more to the most recent sessions which contribute more to fatigue.