Training load control
TSS
Daily training loads were monitored during the month preceding the study as well as during the training camp. Power output data were registered during all training sessions with a power meter (Shimano Dura-Ace FCRC9100-P, Shimano, Sakia, Japan). Training volume (total time/distance covered), work (kJ spent), and the training stress score (TSS) were also recorded for each session. The TSS was computed as:
where t = duration (s), NP = normalized power output, and IF = intensity factor calculated as NP/functional threshold power (FTP). NP was computed as the 30-second moving average of the power output attained during the relevant training session, and is thought to represent the power output an individual could sustain if intensity was maintained constant without any variability. FTP was calculated as 95% of the highest power output attained for a 20-minute effort during the previous four weeks [