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Sources
The full bibliography behind the methodology: everything our decisions rest on, each entry marked with how firmly it stands.
How we read these levels and what follows from them — How we make methodology decisions.
123 sources
Load and form
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moderater=0.914 between critical velocity and the pace at 4 mmol/l lactate (not MLSS directly)
Planning and load safety
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moderatedefends the coupled ACWR (not a critic of coupling)
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moderatefor distance-related injuries HR 1.59 (95% CI 0.96–2.66, P=.07, not significant)
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moderatethe advantage is mostly in VO2peak, from short interventions and trained samples; not grounds to hard-code 80/20
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strongoptimum volume reduction −41–60% (we round to 40–60% in the text)
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strongthe source for short breaks (a fast VO2max drop driven by the loss of plasma volume)
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Return to Sport / Return to Play
heuristicPhysiopedia (graduated return)
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moderatea direct RCT in triathletes; economy and strength, with no gain in body mass
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moderateimprovements in efficiency, anaerobic power and performance; low certainty for part of the effects
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moderatesmall sample; one maintenance session after a preparatory block
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moderatenot enough strong data to count ordinary low-cadence work as a substitute for strength training
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weaka small, sport-specific study; admissible only as a bike-specific route, not an equivalent of general strength work
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moderatethe interference depends on modality, frequency and duration; grounds for spacing hard stimuli apart
Recovery and readiness
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conventionthe source of the 1–7 scale and its orientation; the scale itself is not a physiological threshold
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convention
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intervals.icu Forum. Wellness data ordering of Mood/Stress/Soreness «scores».
weaka community post, not documentation
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moderatethe “neck check” is called unscientific
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moderatethe signal comes ~2.75 days before the person seeks a test (noticeably less before symptoms)
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Mayo Clinic. Exercise and illness: work out with a cold?
clinical guidance
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moderaten=13, against an ECG reference
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Special groups and conditions
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strongthe conclusion: the effect is trivial and the evidence base is weak
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Passive heat acclimation and endurance performance (2025).
weakthe effect on performance remains uncertain; not grounds to recommend a bath or a sauna as the preferred protocol
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CDC. High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness (Yellow Book)
clinical guidance
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Nutrition
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stronga clinical tool for specialists, not an algorithm for an app
Thresholds, zones and durability
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How is the estimated FTP (eFTP) being calculated
conventionintervals.icu forum (the method: Morton’s three-parameter critical power model plus a near-maximal effort of 180 s to 30 min)
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Critical Power test vs 20-min FTP (2021).
moderateCP and FTP have wide limits of agreement and are not interchangeable
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Critical Speed guide for runners / Threshold, CV, VO2max from 5k
conventioncritical speed from race results
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Rogers B, Gronwald T. DFA a1 и аэробный/анаэробный пороги
moderatevalid at group level, weaker for an individual
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DFA a1 in running: reproducibility (Polar H10 versus ECG)
moderateICC 0.85 when fresh → 0.55 after a hard session; optical sensors are unusable (artifact rate)
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(2025). Determinants of endurance: durability/fatigability/repeatability/resilience
moderatea growing field
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(2025). Methodological considerations for durability (including running and HR drift)
moderateand a critical caveat: durability of “the big three” did not differ after 15 kJ/kg of moderate versus hard work
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(2025). Statistical flaws in the fitness-fatigue model
disputedoverfitting and unidentifiable constants. Sci Rep
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Javaloyes A, Vesterinen V, et al.
moderatea review of HRV-guided training (Ln rMSSD, 7-day mean ± 0.5 SD)
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American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription
convention
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moderatea systematic review of 26 studies and 527 participants
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Daniels J. Daniels' Running Formula
heuristic
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The safety layer
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stronga practical consensus; the structure of the steps and the rule for stepping back
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strongan expert consensus; red flags: chest pain, breathlessness, fainting, palpitations
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stronga position statement of the professional body; central nervous system dysfunction as the cardinal sign, “cool first”
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strongan expert consensus; recognition and return to activity
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stronga clinical guideline; 2,500 m, 500 m a day above 3,000 m, a rest day every 3–4 days, descend ≥1,000 m
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strongan ACSM position; the algorithm runs on current activity, known disease and symptoms, and age is no longer a referral criterion of its own
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stronga resting blood pressure ≥180/110 mmHg is a reason to get it under a doctor’s control before starting a training programme
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stronga resting heart rate ≥30 bpm is normal in well-trained athletes; below 30 needs further investigation
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conventionimpact loading no higher than brisk walking; impact and strength work are nevertheless good for bone
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moderatean expert consensus of physiotherapists; ≥12 weeks before returning to running, plus a pelvic floor assessment
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strongconsensus; secondary amenorrhoea = ≥3 months, with a raised risk of bone stress injuries