Neverpedia
Training load
ATL (Acute Training Load)
A 7-day weighted average of your daily training stress — a proxy for fatigue.
Acute Training Load (ATL) is a 7-day exponentially-weighted average of your daily TSS. It is widely treated as a proxy for short-term fatigue.
How it is calculated
Each day, ATL = previous ATL × (1 - 1/7) + today's TSS × (1/7). The weighting is short — yesterday's hard ride dominates today's ATL.
Why it matters
ATL is the freshness side of the equation. Combined with CTL, it tells you whether you are fresh (ATL well below CTL) or buried (ATL well above CTL).
Common misconceptions
- ATL is not perceived fatigue. It is a calculated proxy. Real fatigue depends on sleep, life stress, and ride quality.
- A big single ride spikes ATL fast. That is intentional.
- ATL does not know about non-cycling stress, illness, or travel — it can lie when life is heavy off the bike.
Related concepts
CTL, TSB, TSS.