Much of elite, high-level combat sports are filled with mentally strong, disciplined athletes. These are people who have the ability (and want) to push as hard as possible for as long as possible. They work constantly, pushing their bodies further and further into fatigue. While such a perspective is admirable, it will undoubtedly lead to suboptimal performance. In fact, some studies report that overtraining (training while fatigued, leading to decreased performance) has occurred in up to 64% of athletes (Pope 2017). Furthermore, Gould reports that overtraining occurs with Olympic athletes at rates ranging from 10%-28%. (Pope 2017). Even at elite levels, overtraining occurs often. The question then becomes, what is the cause of overtraining and how can coaches/athletes best prevent it?

Often times athletes in an attempt to reach peak physical performance will forgo proper rest and recovery. The assumption is that more workouts/training allows for more growth. However, research has shown that adequate recovery is an essential part of performance.

The question then becomes, how do we know when we are training too hard? What signs are there to tell us when to push harder, or slow down and rest?

The key here is to listen to your body, more specifically, your heart. For years, scientists and doctors have utilized the way in which your heart beats to make inferences about overall bodily health. Our app takes these techniques and allows you to see what your body is telling you! Through the use of heart rate variability, we are able to take your body’s signals and translate them into easy to understand, real-time answers about how well your body has recovered.

With a simple, clean and easy to use interface, the Treigning Lab app provides a solution to this problem. We analyze your body’s own data and use it to give daily updates about how well you’ve recovered in the short-term and the long-term. Through the use of advanced analytics on your heart rate data, we are able to provide athletes with answers to the overtraining question. Instead of having to guess what state your body is in, how hard one should workout, etc. With the app, one now has evidence to make an informed decision based on what your body is telling you!

You are in control of your body. With a tool like the Treigning Lab app, athletes can be more sure of their training regimens. It provides data-based insights into when an athlete should recover (rest) or go at it, pushing themselves to the max. For many athletes, combat and training is a way of life, a lifestyle. With so much at stake, taking a data-based, scientific approach to training is the only choice. To be the best, you have to use the best.