VéloPeak tracks a set of key numbers that tell you how your body is adapting to training and what you're capable of. They all start from Load (TLS, Training Load Score), a measure of how hard each workout was relative to your FTP.
Fitness
Fitness (CLS, Chronic Load Score): a 42-day exponential moving average of your daily Load.
Think of it as your long-term fitness base. It rises when you train consistently over weeks and months, and drops when you rest or reduce volume. A higher Fitness means your body is adapted to absorbing more work.
A Fitness of 50 to 70 is typical for an amateur rider training 8 to 10 h per week. Elite amateurs often sit at 80 to 100 or more.
Fatigue
Fatigue (ALS, Acute Load Score): a 7-day exponential moving average of your daily Load.
This reflects how tired you are right now. After a big training block, Fatigue spikes. After a rest day it drops quickly. Fatigue always reacts faster than Fitness because of the shorter time constant.
Form
Form (LBI, Load Balance Index): simply Fitness minus Fatigue.
This is the number that tells you whether you're ready to perform. On the dashboard, Form is shown by default as your Condition: a plain-language band instead of a number. If you'd rather see the values, turn on the Nerd mode switch to see Fitness, Fatigue and Form as numbers.
| Form | Condition | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| +25 or more | Detraining | You are training with very light load for a while. Keep it up and your fitness starts to drop. |
| +5 to +25 | Fresh | You are resting well and carrying little fatigue. A good moment for a race or a harder key workout. |
| -10 to +5 | Maintaining | You are training enough to keep your fitness, not to improve it. |
| -30 to -10 | Productive | You are training at the right load and getting stronger. |
| Below -30 | Overtraining risk | You are training above what you usually absorb. Easy days now protect your progress. |
Calibrating: while your Fitness is below 10 (your first one or two workouts), your Condition shows as "Calibrating", because a single long ride swings Form deep into Overtraining risk. It shows up after your first workouts.
A negative Form isn't bad: it's expected during hard training blocks (the Productive band). The goal is to manage it: go deep during build phases, avoid staying long in Overtraining risk, then taper to reach Fresh before key events.
FTP
Functional Threshold Power: the highest average power you can sustain for approximately one hour, measured in watts (W).
FTP is the foundation of all training zones and every calculation on this dashboard. It is used to:
- Define your 7 power zones (Z1 to Z7)
- Calculate Load for each activity
- Derive W/kg and estimated VO₂ Max
You can update your FTP in Settings > Profile after a ramp test, 20-minute test, or by asking your coach.
W/kg
Power-to-Weight Ratio: your FTP divided by your body weight in kilograms.
W/kg = FTP (watts) ÷ Weight (kg)
This is the single most important metric for climbing and overall cycling performance. Two riders with the same FTP will climb at very different speeds if their weights differ.
| W/kg | Level |
|---|---|
| < 2.0 | Beginner |
| 2.0 to 3.0 | Recreational |
| 3.0 to 3.5 | Sportive / Gran Fondo |
| 3.5 to 4.0 | Club racer |
| 4.0 to 5.0 | Amateur racer |
| > 5.0 | Elite / Professional |
VO₂ Max (estimated)
Maximal Oxygen Uptake: the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during intense exercise, expressed in ml/kg/min.
VéloPeak estimates your VO₂ Max from FTP and weight using the Coggan formula:
VO₂ Max (est.) = (W/kg × 10.8) + 7
This is an estimate (a lab VO₂ Max test is more accurate), but it provides a useful benchmark to track progress over time.
| VO₂ Max | Level |
|---|---|
| < 35 | Beginner |
| 35 to 45 | Recreational |
| 45 to 55 | Trained |
| 55 to 65 | Well-trained |
| > 65 | Elite |
As your FTP improves relative to your weight, your estimated VO₂ Max will rise.
Load (week)
Weekly Load: the sum of Load (TLS, Training Load Score) from all activities in the last 7 days.
This gives you a quick view of your current weekly training load:
| Weekly Load | Typical volume |
|---|---|
| < 150 | Low (maintenance) |
| 150 to 300 | Moderate (base training) |
| 300 to 500 | High (structured build) |
| > 500 | Very high (race prep / overload) |
Use this alongside Fatigue and Form to decide whether to add intensity or back off.
How VéloPeak calculates these values
- Every time you sync your Strava activities, VéloPeak calculates a Load value for each workout using your FTP and Weighted Power (WP).
- Activities are grouped by day (multiple workouts on the same day are summed).
- The Fitness and Fatigue exponential moving averages are computed across your full activity history.
- The result is stored as a daily snapshot and shown on your dashboard.
- W/kg and VO₂ Max are derived in real-time from your profile FTP and weight.
The more history you have synced, the more accurate the numbers will be.
Tips
- Before a race: aim for Fresh (Form between +5 and +25), fit but fresh.
- After a big week: a Form of -20 to -30 (Productive) is normal. Don't panic.
- Grow Fitness slowly: 3 to 5 points per week max to avoid injury.
- Track W/kg over months: a rising W/kg (without gaining weight) confirms real fitness gains.
- VO₂ Max plateaus: once you're above 50, gains come from consistency and high-intensity work over years, not weeks.
Body and Health Metrics
Weight, body fat, HRV, heart rate, critical power, W', and pace thresholds are tracked separately as Input Metrics. View the Input Metrics guide
VO2 Max: measured vs. estimated
If you have a lab-measured VO2 Max value less than 60 days old, VéloPeak uses that instead of the Coggan estimate. Your dashboard shows the source.