Long-distance triathlon glossary·Rec.

Active recovery : Light recovery session

Load

Very short and very light session (Z1, <60% max HR) promoting blood flow without adding fatigue.

Active recovery means performing very low-intensity activity (pure Z1: 50-60% max HR) after a high-load day or race. It speeds residual lactate clearance, reduces soreness through increased blood flow, and maintains muscle tone without compromising adaptation. Typical duration: 20-40 min. Examples: very easy cycling (50-60 W), slow effortless swimming, very relaxed jogging <6 min/km. It does not replace complete rest; over a 4-5 day recovery block, alternating 1 day off / 1 day active recovery is optimal.

In TriPaced:

In TriPaced, active recovery sessions are automatically scheduled after high-intensity blocks or races. They are short, clearly labelled 'Recovery', and calibrated to strict Z1 so they don't increase weekly TSS.

Related terms

  • TSS : Training Stress Score
  • CTL : Chronic Training Load (fitness)
  • ATL : Acute Training Load (fatigue)
  • TSB : Training Stress Balance (freshness)
  • Sweet spot : the efficiency zone
  • Threshold : the upper sustainable limit