Paper-based training diaries for monitoring of performance progress due to long-term physical activity.

Introduction: Training diaries are a common tool for training monitoring; however, their correlation with an effective performance gain is unclear.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether monitoring of training by paper‑based training diaries reflects the training progress measured by a bicycle stress test in hobby athletes.

Patients And Methods: Out of 109 hobby athletes who were instructed to work out for 8 months with a calculated training pulse, 98 participants completed the study. Training workload (intensity and time) was recorded with special training diaries. To assess the objective performance gain or change, the bicycle stress test was performed at baseline and at the end of the study. Surrogate parameters associated with increased physical activity were also recorded.

Results: Participants who had a performance gain of at least 3% (mean gain of about 12%) in the bicycle stress test worked out between 547 and 576 min/mo with moderate intensity, and between 14 and 187 min/mo with high intensity. Neither moderate- nor high-intensity training correlated with the performance gain.

Conclusions: Paper-based training diaries might serve as an additional tool in the monitoring of training progress. However, because of the discrepancy between reported training loads and objectively measured training progress, they are not suitable to replace a standard bicycle stress test for an exact determination of performance gain in hobby athletes. New devices, such as fitness trackers or watches, may present better alternatives in the future.