This week's training load compared with the recent average.
ACWR is a ratio between an athlete's recent training load, typically summed or averaged over the last 7 days, and their chronic load, typically a rolling 28-day average. A ratio near 1.0 suggests recent load is consistent with what the athlete has been conditioned for, while a high ratio flags a sudden spike relative to that baseline.
It gives clinicians and coaches a shared, numerical basis for conversations about return-to-play progression, pre-season ramp-up, or load reduction after illness or a break. Rather than relying on athlete report alone, it prompts a targeted question — has load risen faster than tissue capacity has adapted — which can shape decisions on session intensity, volume, or rest days.
Load is usually captured via GPS-derived external metrics (distance, high-speed running) or internal measures such as session-RPE multiplied by duration, logged daily and rolled up into acute and chronic windows. The ratio is then tracked over time, often alongside absolute chronic load and other monitoring data, rather than read as a single isolated number.
The evidence behind specific cut-offs, such as the often-cited 0.8–1.3 'sweet spot', is inconsistent, and calculation choices such as rolling averages versus exponentially weighted moving averages materially change the output. It should not be used as a standalone gatekeeping rule for training decisions or return-to-play clearance, and is best interpreted alongside subjective wellness, injury history, and other load and readiness indicators.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.