As the world of sports technology becomes more advanced, users have access to information previously only available to elite athletes. Gone are the days of "I wish I had access to the tools the pros use". These tools are becoming more available to everyone so understanding them has become the next level.

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 This article will discuss how to develop meaningful data and help provide insight into your training and physiology.

While athletes or coaches may interpret data differently, in the end it comes down to the data we have. Many athletes expect the computer to know everything, thinking that if the best athletes in the world use it, then surely the technology will help. Technology will only be good if we make an effort ourselves. Any company can have the best algorithm in the world, but the athlete has to put in significant work.

Race predictor

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One of the highlights of the new technology is the ability to predict the finish time of the runners. At COROS we have the predictor for running  5, 10, half marathon and marathon. This is a great feature and helps athletes keep pace on race day. However, we have seen many times where an athlete will go on a long tempo run and their marathon prediction drops by 30 minutes. While the technology and algorithm were working properly, the athlete finally gave the technology the data it needed. Athletes should strive to train specifically for the goal they hope to achieve. They should also know that if you don't train specifically, the race predictor may not be accurate.

Track your training load

The amount of training load figure is among the biggest improvements in sports science over the last 25 ​​years. This should be the basis on which all other decisions are made. Due to its importance, it is important that athletes set their running threshold correctly. If you're customizing your Heart Rate Threshold or Pace Threshold, you need to know why. You also need to understand that this will affect your training loads and make them relevant only to yourself. Although this is a feature of a customizable platform, this should only be done with an understanding of what it will do to the overall data. For athletes looking to compare data against others, make sure your running thresholds are set correctly. For COROS users, run at different intensities to allow our algorithm to accurately calculate your threshold. This will create a more accurate snapshot of where your fitness is at.

Lactic acid threshold/VO2/anaerobic capacity

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If you want specific feedback from your sports technology, you need to provide specific input. The best way to do this is to test your fitness level in specific ranges. Are you looking for the lactic acid threshold? Your VO2? Are you looking to see what your anaerobic capacity is? Go check it out. While you don't need to check all the time, it's the best way to give the algorithm what it needs. It will also provide you with the actual number associated with these physiological outputs. This will guide you in your training and ensure that your ranges are set up correctly.

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Summary

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All in all there are many tools that athletes can use. Once you've gained access to these new systems, the next goal is to understand them. What are they trying to tell you, and how can they give you accurate information. In the end, it will come down to the athlete providing these systems with useful data. If you're looking for your 5k pace, you should run some threshold workouts. If you're looking for your predictable marathon pace, you need to run long runs. Entering data of equal significance to the data to obtain meaningful data. Take time to understand the data systems and maximize yourself with the help of technology.