This is a paid Wahoo subscription feature. The Training Progress panel on the Today tab and DTL summary panel are available to non-subscribers, but further data analysis requires a paid Wahoo subscription or active trial.
Dimensional Training Load (DTL) is one of the new Fitness Metrics Wahoo has released to provide a more complete picture of the impact of your training on the various dimensions of your cycling and running fitness, your capacity to train, and your overall fitness when compared to simple FTP, other existing cycling metrics and traditional running analysis. This is a composite score that takes all of your activities into account, regardless of if they are for your main competition sport or cross training.
For a summary explanation of all the new metrics together, see Wahoo Fitness Metrics explained.
For cycling activities with power and cadence data
Currently designed and optimized for cycling activities that contain power and cadence data, Dimensional Training Load [DTL] is a component analysis of the various types of effort across a ride. Referenced to your 4DP® Athlete Profile, for cycling workouts with power and cadence data, the Wahoo Cloud analyzes time, power, and cadence data from a ride to calculate the physiological impact differences in cadence and torque make in efforts across four dimensions — FTP, MAP, AC, and NM.
Physiological efforts (expressed through power data) are broken down across multiple time horizons and cadence ranges and then bucketed into a component category. Each DTL component category, called a load contributor, is weighted individually to reflect how different intensity loads affect fitness and fatigue. Each system contributes differently to building fitness, so tracking them separately gives a clearer picture of how your training impacts you.
| 4DP® Dimension | Load contributor |
|---|---|
| Functional Threshold Power (FTP) | Easy efforts |
| Moderate efforts | |
| Hard sustained efforts | |
| Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP) | Hard unsustainable efforts |
| Sustained high cadence | |
| Anaerobic Capacity (AC) | Short near-max efforts |
| Power spikes | |
| Neuromuscular (NM) | High force & low cadence |
| Short max power efforts | |
| Super high cadence |
Because efforts can contribute to physiological impacts to multiple systems (FTP / MAP / AC / NM) at once, impact volume (not time-in-zone) values within each individual load contributor category are summed to create a load contributor DTL score. Those load contributor values are then summed again within their 4DP® dimension ([FTP], [MAP], AC], or [NM]). The 4DP® category DTL totals are again summed to create a ride's total DTL score. With those 4DP® DTL totals and the ride's composite DTL score, we can demonstrate how much each kind of effort (at the load contributor and/or 4DP® dimension) contributed to a ride's overall effort.
The output of these calculations is shown in the Load contributors table and the Intensity breakdown graph, accessed from a new Dimensional Training Load insights panel that appears on the Activity Details page for every activity.
Data display in the app
For Wahoo subscribers, each ride with power and cadence will now have a Dimensional Training Load insights panel in the ride's Activity Details page (left image below) that contains:
- the total DTL score for that ride
- which offers a simple representation of the training load accumulated during that ride
- a relative training load graph
- which demonstrates the training impact of that ride, relative to your last 90 days of activities
- Note: This is not a difficulty graph exactly, as your efforts are analyzed relative to your 4DP® component capacities as stored in your 4DP® Athlete Profile. In many cases, it will correlate with your perceived effort/fatigue, but in certain cases may diverge (ex. a relatively easy ride, but which contained an emphasis on a 4DP® area in which you have a large opportunity for improvement).
- a 4DP® training load distribution graph
- which demonstrates the distribution of your training efforts across the four 4DP® training dimensions
Wahoo app > History Tab > Activity summary card > Activity Details > Dimensional Training Load details
SYSTM > History Beta > Activity summary card > Activity Details > Dimensional Training Load details
When selected, that panel will expand into a Dimensional Training Load details page (middle and right images above) that offers:
- The ride's composite DTL score
- The relative training load graph
- A map view of the ride's track, with the load contributor intervals overlaid
- The Intensity breakdown graph
- The graph is labeled with the 4DP® category training load impact percentages like the summary panel's training load distribution graph, but provides a further visual breakdown by color of the individual load contributors' impact proportions.
- The Load contributor table, which provides
- a DTL score for each individual load contributor across a ride
- a DTL score for each 4DP® category (the sum of that category's load contributor DTL scores)
- each 4DP® category's DTL score as a percentage of the ride's total DTL score
- the same percentages as in the training load distribution graph and intensity breakdown graph
- Reminder: these percentages are not simple time-in-zone percentages, as multiple 4DP® dimensions can accumulate training load simultaneously, and the relative impact of any volume of a load contributor is relative to your capacity in that 4DP® dimension.
Additionally, the map within the Dimensional Training Load page can be expanded to allow you to cross reference different dimensional efforts across space and time. This also brings up a zoomable intensity density graph. These tools let you review the time and location of various load contributor types, and if you zoom in a bit, see a demonstration of how an effort during a ride segment, when measured across different time horizons, can contribute to multiple load contributors.
For running activities
Dimensional Training Load [DTL] is a component analysis of the various types of effort across a workout. Referenced to your 3DP® Athlete Profile, for running workouts with pace and elevation data, the Wahoo Cloud analyzes grade adjusted pace (GAP) data from a ride to calculate the physiological impact differences in pace make in efforts across three dimensions — TP, MAP, AC, and NM.
Physiological efforts (expressed through grade adjusted pace) are broken down across multiple time horizons and then bucketed into a component category. Each DTL component category, called a load contributor, is weighted individually to reflect how different intensity loads affect fitness and fatigue. Each system contributes differently to building fitness, so tracking them separately gives a clearer picture of how your training impacts you.
| 3DP® Dimension | Load contributor |
|---|---|
| Threshold Power (TP)(60 Min) | Easy efforts |
| Moderate efforts | |
| Hard sustained efforts | |
| Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP)(5 Min) | Hard unsustainable efforts |
| Anaerobic Capacity (AC)(1 Minute) | Short near-max efforts |
Because efforts can contribute to physiological impacts to multiple systems (TP / MAP / AC) at once, impact volume (not time-in-zone) values within each individual load contributor category are summed to create a load contributor DTL score. Those load contributor values are then summed again within their 3DP® dimension ([TP], [MAP], or [AC]). The 3DP® category DTL totals are again summed to create a workout's total DTL score. With those 3DP® DTL totals and the workout's composite DTL score, we can demonstrate how much each kind of effort (at the load contributor and/or 3DP® dimension) contributed to a workout's overall effort.
The output of these calculations is shown in the Load contributors table and the Intensity breakdown graph, accessed from a new Dimensional Training Load insights panel that appears on the Activity Details page for every activity.
Data display in the app
For Wahoo subscribers, each run with grade adjust pace (GAP) will now have a Dimensional Training Load insights panel in the workout's Activity Details page (left image below) that contains:
- the total DTL score for that workout
- which offers a simple representation of the training load accumulated during that workout
- a relative training load graph
- which demonstrates the training impact of that workout, relative to your last 90 days of activities
- Note: This is not a difficulty graph exactly, as your efforts are analyzed relative to your 3DP® component capacities as stored in your 3DP® Athlete Profile. In many cases, it will correlate with your perceived effort/fatigue, but in certain cases may diverge (ex. a relatively easy ride, but which contained an emphasis on a 3DP® area in which you have a large opportunity for improvement).
- a 3DP® training load distribution graph
- which demonstrates the distribution of your training efforts across the three 3DP® training dimensions
Wahoo app > History Tab > Activity summary card > Activity Details > Dimensional Training Load details
SYSTM > History Beta > Activity summary card > Activity Details > Dimensional Training Load details
When selected, that panel will expand into a Dimensional Training Load details page (middle and right images above) that offers:
- The run's composite DTL score
- The relative training load graph
- A map view of the run's track, with the load contributor intervals overlaid
- The Intensity breakdown graph
- The graph is labeled with the 3DP® category training load impact percentages like the summary panel's training load distribution graph, but provides a further visual breakdown by color of the individual load contributors' impact proportions.
- The Load contributor table, which provides
- a DTL score for each individual load contributor across a run
- a DTL score for each 3DP® category (the sum of that category's load contributor DTL scores)
- each 3DP® category's DTL score as a percentage of the ride's total DTL score
- the same percentages as in the training load distribution graph and intensity breakdown graph
- Reminder: these percentages are not simple time-in-zone percentages, as multiple 3DP® dimensions can accumulate training load simultaneously, and the relative impact of any volume of a load contributor is relative to your capacity in that 3DP® dimension.
Additionally, the map within the Dimensional Training Load page can be expanded to allow you to cross reference different dimensional efforts across space and time. This also brings up a zoomable intensity density graph. These tools let you review the time and location of various load contributor types, and if you zoom in a bit, see a demonstration of how an effort during a ride segment, when measured across different time horizons, can contribute to multiple load contributors.
For other activities
Currently for all activities other than cycling or running, and cycling activities that do not contain power and cadence data, the Wahoo Cloud estimates a total DTL value based on the workout type, the activity’s duration, and the post session rating (PSR) you provide for that activity. Each workout type has an intensity value and in the absence of a post session rating, a default median PSR value is applied.
DTL over time
Dimensional Training Load scores make up the backbone of Wahoo's Fitness Metrics. Training load impacts are aggregated and processed across time at the load contributor level and then for usability, displayed at the 4DP®/3DP® dimensional level.
This allows us to more accurately represent the differences in physiological adaptation (in accumulation and decay) between the different dimensions. (ex. Neuromuscular [NM] training produces benefits much more quickly than threshold pace [FTP] training, but also fades much more quickly if you don't train that dimension.) Being able to present the dimensions independently allows us to show you the impact that any given workout, other ride, or lack of training has on a specific focus area of your training, beyond general fatigue or increased overall fitness.
Dimensional training loads across 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years are visible on the Dimensional Training Load page, accessed from the Training Progress summary page, accessed from the Training Progress [beta] panel on the home page.
Wahoo app > Today > Training Progress > Dimensional Training Load
The metrics are also visible in the SYSTM app.
SYSTM > Home > Training Progress > Dimensional Training Load
The ebb and flow of your dimensional training load (representing adaptation in and decay rate for each dimension) is also shown in the Training Trends page.
For more on Training Trends, see Short Term Load (STL), Long Term Load (LTL), and Training Trends.
Wahoo app > Today > Training Progress > Weekly cycling trends
The metrics are also visible in the SYSTM app.
SYSTM > Home > Training Progress > Weekly cycling trends
As the base metric from which the other Wahoo Fitness metrics are calculated, Dimensional Training Load also plays a major role calculating Training Capacity [TC] and our Fitness Score metrics.
For details on those metrics specifically, see Training Capacity [TC] and Fitness Score.