With every ride, DURA 2 SOLAR tracks your training load, fatigue, and recovery. See your FTP update with changes in fitness, or take a guided Fitness Test to get a snapshot of your current ability.
Important
The metrics below require connecting an external heart rate monitor and/or power meter.
Training Load
Requires tracking activities with heart rate data.
Training Load is a universal way to quantify your training and measure your stress through activities over time. Based on time and intensity, Training Load allows you to compare the strain of workouts across different sports using the same metric.
Every activity tracked with heart rate data will receive a Training Load score, classified on a personalized scale of Low, Medium, and High. View your Training Load score in the activity summary in your COROS app.
COROS recommends a 7-day Training Load for you based on your fitness level and the amount of training completed in recent weeks, based on a 3:1 training cycle ratio. This means that if you have three consecutive weeks of increased Training Load, the fourth week will have a lower recommendation for enhanced recovery.
Training Status
Requires tracking activities with heart rate data.
Training Status is calculated based on a rolling average of 7 days and 42 days, and tells you how effective your most recent training was.
There are three key metrics that make up Training Status:
- Base Fitness: The amount of Training Load your body has accumulated in the long term (the last 42 days).
- Load Impact: The amount of Training Load your body has accumulated in the short term (the last 7 days).
- Intensity Trend: The relationship between Base Fitness and Load Impact, illustrated on a 6-point scale to compare your recent training with your overall fitness.
- Excessive: Recent training may be overreaching or excessive.
- Optimized: Productive training is increasing Base Fitness.
- Resuming: Increased Training Load is improving your fitness.
- Performance: You are ready to take on significant physical effort.
- Decreasing: Low recent Training Load; Base Fitness is declining.
Recovery
Requires tracking activities with heart rate data.
COROS assesses your real-time Recovery based on a combination of your Base Fitness, Training Load, and remaining energy since your last exercise. Typically, you do not need to be fully recovered before you start the next training session. You can schedule your training according to different Recovery recommendations.
- 0% - 19%: Exhausted; rest is recommended
- 20% - 69%: Fatigued
- 70% - 89% Normal
- 90% - 100%: Fresh; ready for hard training
FTP and Power-Based Metrics
Some fitness metrics require connecting both an external power meter and heart rate monitor to assess your FTP (Functional Threshold Power). An accurate FTP extrapolates your power zones and VO2 Max, and provides more accurate Training Load data for cycling activities.
In order to calculate these metrics, you will need to meet initial requirements so the algorithm has the data it needs to assess your FTP. The requirements are:
- Record an indoor or outdoor ride that includes a segment of at least 20+ minutes of steady, uninterrupted riding (no intervals).
- During the 20-minute steady segment, your COROS device is recording heart rate data and is paired with a power meter.
- During this segment, your heart rate must average at least 60% of your heart rate reserve.
- For example, if your max heart rate is 180 and resting heart rate is 50, your heart rate reserve is 130. 60% of 130 is 78. Now to get the target range, we will add resting heart rate to the previous numbers. 78+50=128. To qualify for this example, the athlete needs to maintain a heart rate reading over 128bpm.
FTP Test
The FTP Test is available after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
A guided FTP Test is available directly on your COROS device. FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power, which is defined as the highest average power you can sustain for approximately an hour, measured in watts. FTP is one of the most commonly used training metrics in cycling. It can be used as a benchmark statistic, and to determine training zones when training with power.
To start the test, scroll down to the Cycling Fitness menu from the home screen, then select FTP Test. You will need the following:
- Indoor trainer that measures power
- Heart rate monitor or COROS watch
For more information on the FTP Test, please click here.
Max Power Test
The Max Power Test is available after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
A guided Max Power Test is available directly on your COROS device to estimate the maximum amount of power you can sustain based on a series of short sprint intervals.
To start the test, scroll down to the Cycling Fitness menu from the home screen, then select Max Power Test. You will need the following:
- Indoor trainer that measures power
- Heart rate monitor or COROS watch
Power Zones
Power zones are provided after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
Training with power is one of the most valuable tools for cyclists to improve their fitness. The COROS cycling power zone model is based on a percentage of your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) to allow your workouts to be as individualized as possible.
COROS power zones are broken down into 7 zones:
- Recovery: Easy, recovery rides.
- Aerobic Endurance: Long rides. Easy, but sustained effort.
- Aerobic Power: Tempo, or sweet spot rides. Harder effort that require focus, but sustainable for longer periods.
- Threshold (at or near FTP): FTP workouts. Strenuous effort and hardly sustainable.
- Anaerobic Endurance (above FTP): VO2max workouts. Effort is very demanding and can be sustained for several minutes at a time.
- Anaerobic Power: Strength workouts. Highly demanding effort that can only be sustained for a few minutes.
- Sprint: Neuromuscular workouts. Maximal effort that can be sustained for up to a minute at most.
Power Curve
Your Power Curve is available after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
Maximum Mean Power Curve (MMP Curve) is a graph that represents the maximum average power you stably output while cycling over different durations. The shape of the power curve reflects your cycling ability, from instant explosive power, to high-intensity endurance, to long-term endurance. This can reflect your strengths and weaknesses in sprinting, climbing, or endurance scenarios.
To view your Power Curve, open your COROS app to the first page and scroll down to the Cycling Fitness card.
Cycling Efficiency
Cycling Efficiency scores are provided after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
Efficiency measures how the effort on your last activity compares to your fitness level. Various external and internal factors can impact your Efficiency score, such as quality of sleep, temperature, and elevation.
The score that you can receive will range from 80% to 120% and has 5 different levels.
- Excellent: 105% - 120%
- Great: 102% - 104%
- Good: 99% - 101%
- Fair: 96% - 98%
- Low: 80% - 95%
Not every bike activity will receive an Efficiency score: rides must include both heart rate and power data, and your heart rate should stay between 65%-95% of your max heart rate.
Cycling VO2 Max
VO2 Max is provided after completing the initial requirements listed in the "FTP and Power-Based Metrics" section above.
VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen (in milliliters) per kilogram of body weight that you can consume per minute while exercising at maximum intensity. It is an important indicator to assess your body's aerobic capacity, and should increase as your fitness level increases. Factors such as age, gender, weight, heart rate, and Training Status affect your COROS VO2 Max value.
To view your VO2 Max, open your COROS app to the first page and scroll down to the Cycling Fitness card.
As you record more cycling activities with power and heart rate data, COROS estimates your VO2 Max and adjusts this value over time.
Workouts and Training Plans
Download official workouts and training plans to DURA 2 sOLAR, or create your own within the COROS app.
To get started, open your COROS app to the Profile page (fourth tab) and select either Workouts or Training Plan Library. At the top of the next page, toggle to the Official Workout Library / Official Plan Library to view official workouts from COROS coaches and professional athletes. Select a workout to view more details and add it to your library.
Scheduled workouts and training plans will appear in your Training Calendar, which you can open from the Progress page (first tab) in the app.
If you have a workout scheduled for today, simply choose your desired bike mode, and DURA 2 SOLAR will prompt you if you wish follow the scheduled workout for the day. After confirming, DURA 2 SOLAR will guide you through each phase of the workout with real-time alerts. For more information, see our guide to following structured workouts.