Investigation: Should you let data dictate your training?

Modern training apps claim to be able to monitor your form, fatigue and race-readiness by algorithm. But can artificial intelligence really know more than you about your body? Hannah Reynolds investigates

Imagine this scenario: an athlete is preparing for a competition, carefully recording every session and watching the peaks and troughs of their data curves with an eagle eye. They heap on training stress while balancing it with judicious amounts of rest, all the while noting their fitness scores creeping up as the number representing their form hits the golden target on the right day.

Everything is in place for the ride of their life. But when race day comes, it just doesn’t happen — they under-perform, the PB proves elusive. How could this be, they think, when everything was objectively on track?

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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.