Training Status

These measurements are estimates that can help you track and understand your training activities. The measurements require a few activities using wrist-based heart rate or a compatible chest heart rate monitor. Cycling performance measurements require a heart rate monitor and a power meter.

These estimates are provided and supported by Firstbeat Analytics. For more information, go to Garmin.com/performance-data/running.

NOTE: The estimates may seem inaccurate at first. The watch requires you to complete a few activities to learn about your performance.

Training status: Training status shows you how your training affects your fitness and performance. Your training status is based on changes to your training load and VO2 max. over an extended time period.

VO2 max.: VO2 max. is the maximum volume of oxygen (in milliliters) you can consume per minute per kilogram of body weight at your maximum performance (About VO2 Max. Estimates). Your watch displays heat and altitude corrected VO2 max. values when you are acclimating to high heat environments or high altitude (Heat and Altitude Performance Acclimation).

Training load: Training load is the sum of your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) over the last 7 days. EPOC is an estimate of how much energy it takes for your body to recover after exercise (Training Load).

Training load focus: Your watch analyzes and distributes your training load into different categories based on the intensity and structure of each activity recorded. Training load focus includes the total load accumulated per category, and the focus of the training. Your watch displays your load distribution over the last 4 weeks (Training Load Focus).

Recovery time: The recovery time displays how much time remains before you are fully recovered and ready for the next hard workout (Recovery Time).

Training Status Levels

Training status shows you how your training affects your fitness level and performance. Your training status is based on changes to your training load and VO2 max. over an extended time period. You can use your training status to help plan future training and continue improving your fitness level.

Peaking: Peaking means that you are in ideal race condition. Your recently reduced training load is allowing your body to recover and fully compensate for earlier training. You should plan ahead, since this peak state can only be maintained for a short time.

Productive: Your current training load is moving your fitness level and performance in the right direction. You should plan recovery periods into your training to maintain your fitness level.

Maintaining: Your current training load is enough to maintain your fitness level. To see improvement, try adding more variety to your workouts or increasing your training volume.

Recovery: Your lighter training load is allowing your body to recover, which is essential during extended periods of hard training. You can return to a higher training load when you feel ready.

Unproductive: Your training load is at a good level, but your fitness is decreasing. Your body may be struggling to recover, so you should pay attention to your overall health including stress, nutrition, and rest.

Detraining: Detraining occurs when you are training much less than usual for a week or more, and it is affecting your fitness level. You can try increasing your training load to see improvement.

Overreaching: Your training load is very high and counterproductive. Your body needs a rest. You should give yourself time to recover by adding lighter training to your schedule.

No Status: The device needs one or two weeks of training history, including activities with VO2 max. results from running or cycling, to determine your training status.

Tips for Getting Your Training Status

The training status feature depends on updated assessments of your fitness level, including at least two VO2 max. measurements per week. Your VO2 max. estimate is updated after outdoor runs or rides with power during which your heart rate reached at least 70% of your maximum heart rate for several minutes. Indoor run activities do not generate a VO2 max. estimate in order to preserve the accuracy of your fitness level trend. You can disable VO2 max. recording for ultra run and trail run activities if you do not want those run types to affect your VO2 max. estimate (Activities and App Settings).

To get the most out of the training status feature, you can try these tips.

• At least two times per week, run or ride outdoors with a power meter, and reach a heart rate higher than 70% of your maximum heart rate for at least 10 minutes.

After using the device for one week, your training status should be available.

• Record all of your fitness activities on this device, or enable the Physio TrueUp feature, allowing your device to learn about your performance (Syncing Activities and Performance Measurements).

Heat and Altitude Performance Acclimation

Environmental factors such as high temperature and altitude impact your training and performance. For example, high altitude training can have a positive impact on your fitness, but you may notice a temporary VO2 max. decline while exposed to high altitudes. Your Instinct 2 watch provides acclimation notifications and corrections to your VO2 max. estimate and training status when the temperature is above 22ºC (72ºF) and when the altitude is above 800 m (2625 ft.). You can keep track of your heat and altitude acclimation in the training status glance.

NOTE: The heat acclimation feature is available only for GPS activities and requires weather data from your connected phone.

Training Load

Training load is a measurement of your training volume over the last seven days. It is the sum of your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) measurements for the last seven days. The gauge indicates whether your current load is low, high, or within the optimal range to maintain or improve your fitness level. The optimal range is determined based on your individual fitness level and training history. The range adjusts as your training time and intensity increase or decrease.

Training Load Focus

In order to maximize performance and fitness gains, training should be distributed across three categories: low aerobic, high aerobic, and anaerobic. Training load focus shows you how much of your training is currently in each category and provides training targets. Training load focus requires at least 7 days of training to determine if your training load is low, optimal, or high. After 4 weeks of training history, your training load estimate will have more detailed target information to help you balance your training activities.

Below targets: Your training load is lower than optimal in all intensity categories. Try increasing the duration or frequency of your workouts.

Low aerobic shortage: Try adding more low aerobic activities to provide recovery and balance for your higher intensity activities.

High aerobic shortage: Try adding more high aerobic activities to help improve your lactate threshold and VO2 max. over time.

Anaerobic shortage: Try adding a few more intense, anaerobic activities to improve your speed and anaerobic capacity over time.

Balanced: Your training load is balanced and provides all-around fitness benefits as you continue training.

Low aerobic focus: Your training load is mostly low aerobic activity. This provides a solid foundation and prepares you for adding more intense workouts.

High aerobic focus: Your training load is mostly high aerobic activity. These activities help to improve lactate threshold, VO2 max., and endurance.

Anaerobic focus: Your training load is mostly intense activity. This leads to rapid fitness gains, but should be balanced with low aerobic activities.

Above targets: Your training load is higher than optimal, and you should consider scaling back the duration and frequency of your workouts.

About Training Effect

Training Effect measures the impact of an activity on your aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Training Effect accumulates during the activity. As the activity progresses, the Training Effect value increases. Training Effect is determined by your user profile information and training history, and heart rate, duration, and intensity of your activity. There are seven different Training Effect labels to describe the primary benefit of your activity. Each label is color coded and corresponds to your training load focus (Training Load Focus). Each feedback phrase, for example, “Highly Impacting VO2 Max.” has a corresponding description in your Garmin Connect activity details.

Aerobic Training Effect uses your heart rate to measure how the accumulated intensity of an exercise affects your aerobic fitness and indicates if the workout had a maintaining or improving effect on your fitness level. Your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) accumulated during exercise is mapped to a range of values that account for your fitness level and training habits. Steady workouts at moderate effort or workouts involving longer intervals (>180 sec) have a positive impact on your aerobic metabolism and result in an improved aerobic Training Effect.

Anaerobic Training Effect uses heart rate and speed (or power) to determine how a workout affects your ability to perform at very high intensity. You receive a value based on the anaerobic contribution to EPOC and the type of activity. Repeated high-intensity intervals of 10 to 120 seconds have a highly beneficial impact on your anaerobic capability and result in an improved anaerobic Training Effect.

You can add Aerobic TE and Anaerobic TE as data fields to one of your training screens to monitor your numbers throughout the activity.

Training Effect technology is provided and supported by Firstbeat Technologies Ltd. For more information, go to www.firstbeat.com.