[Jack]

Hey guys,

I program a ton of incline work on the stairmaster and treadmill. Initially, I was adding (.05 times elevation gain in feet) to the hrTSS to account for the elevation gain, based off guidance from another post on this site. I’ve thought about it alot and am not sure this makes sense. I feel like the level of stress when conducting uphill work is logically roughly commiserate with the hrTSS. If anything, anecdotally, running on the flats is more taxing on bones/connective tissue than doing work that is uphill alone . I think uphill and flat are similarly taxing on the musculature. That being said, when the athlete travels downhill, I think it makes sense to adjust the hrTSS to account (adjusted TSS = hr TSS + .1( elevation lost in feet)). The downhill places a ton of stress on the body that is poorly reflected in the hrTSS.

For ski touring, I’m not so sure. (adjusted TSS = hr TSS + .05( elevation lost in feet)) may be more appropriate.

In all instances, even just uphill alone, I think TSS should be adjusted if extra weight is being carried.

Is there data/thinking I’m missing out on here? Thank you!!

Topic

[Shashi]

Shashi on May 12, 2022 at 2:38 pm #67074

Jack,

Here is an extract from the fudge factors shared in this article –

Understanding and Using the TrainingPeaks Metrics CTL and TSS 

A purely aerobic run/hike/ski while carrying no to minimal weight:
Calculate the TrainingPeaks hrTSS and add 10 TSS for each 1,000 vertical feet of gain (and drop)

A purely aerobic run/hike/ski while carrying more than 10 percent of body weight:
Add 20 TSS/1,000 feet (of gain and drop)

Scott shared his thoughts on TSS specific to Treadmill workouts here –

TSS "Fudge Factor" question