Sport Profile
A sport profile is the setting on a sports watch or recording device that defines which sport is recorded and which sensors, zones and metrics apply.
Definition
A “sport profile” is the configuration on a sports watch, bike computer, or training app that, before a session starts, defines which sport is being recorded. The profile determines which sensors are paired, which data fields are shown, and how the session is evaluated later.
Most devices ship with a handful of pre-installed profiles such as running, cycling, and swimming. Depending on the model, further profiles can be installed from a library or created from scratch, for instance “Road Indoor” or “Trail”.
| Sport profile | Primary control metric | Typical sensors | Recording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road cycling | Power (W) | Power meter, heart rate, cadence | GPS, barometer |
| Road indoor | Power (W) | Smart trainer, heart rate | No GPS |
| Running | Pace (min/km) | Heart rate, foot pod | GPS, barometer |
| Treadmill | Pace (min/km) | Heart rate, foot pod | No GPS, distance from sensor |
| Pool swimming | Pace (min/100 m) | Accelerometer | Pool length set manually |
| Strength | Weight (kg) | Heart rate | Sets and repetitions |
Why it matters
The sport profile decides how a session is interpreted. It sets the control metric, which zones apply, and whether load metrics such as Intensity Factor and TSS can be computed at all. A run recorded as a bike ride ends up in a far too fast pace zone and yields an unusable load.
The profile also affects the raw data itself. A running profile without a paired power meter records no power. An indoor profile searching for GPS stalls the recording or produces phantom distance. Choosing the right profile before pressing start is the precondition for any later analysis.
How obseed measures it
obseed reads the sport profile from the metadata of every imported session and uses it to assign the matching control metric, zones, and load calculation. For each sport obseed stores its own thresholds from metabolic testing, because VT1 and VT2 sit at different heart rates and power outputs in running and cycling.
If obseed detects a contradiction between profile and data, such as a “Running” session averaging 35 km/h or a “Road cycling” session without power although a power meter exists, the session is flagged. The profile can be corrected afterwards and obseed recalculates the metrics.
Example
A triathlete has the following thresholds from spiroergometry for her two main sports:
| Sport profile | VT1 | VT2 | Control metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road cycling | 165 W / 138 bpm | 235 W / 162 bpm | Power |
| Running | 5:20 min/km / 145 bpm | 4:35 min/km / 170 bpm | Pace |
She accidentally records a 60-minute ride with NP 200 W in the running profile. obseed detects the implausible pace and flags the session. After correcting to “Road cycling”, the Intensity Factor is 200 / 235 = 0.85 and TSS is 60/60 × 0.85² × 100 ≈ 72. In the running profile no meaningful load could have been computed, and the weekly load would have been 72 points short.
Categories
- Trainingsaufzeichnung
- Technische Begriffe