Load progression score: how to use?

Load progression score: how to use?

First of all, it's important to know what the load progression score means. You can find the explanation here, but we'll repeat the most important aspects again:
  1. Values higher than 100% indicate that your load this week is higher compared to previous weeks. 

  2. Too high percentages, week after week (e.g. > 110%), create an increased risk for overuse injuries. 

  3. This number will 'reset' to 0 every week, so you can track your weekly progression closely. 

To reduce the risk of overuse injuries, it's important to have a proper load progression - this means that you give your body the time to adapt to the experienced load - in combination with low pain scores - which means that your body can handle that load. 




The following situations gives you some tips and tricks based on the combination of those two parameters:

  1. Pain score < 4; load progression similar or slightly higher than 100%.
Pain & load progression scores: OK! 

Your load progression is steady, and you don't experience any (substantial) pain. This means that currently your body is able to cope with the load you experience during your running sessions. 

  1. Pain score < 4; load progression much higher (week after week).
Pain score: OK; load progression: quite high.

You need to watch out on the longer term. Although you have no current pain, your load progression is quite high. It's possible that currently your body can handle the load you experience, but that you might 'overload' your body on the longer term.

  1. Pain score between 3 and 6; load progression similar or slightly higher than 100%. 
Pain scores: somewhat high; load progression: OK.

Although your load progression is OK, you encounter some pain. This means that the load you experience during running is too high for your body to handle, although your load progression is within limits. Continuing this way increases the risk for sustaining a running injury. Try to take some rest and lower your weekly cumulative load for some time. 

  1. Pain score between 3 and 6; load progression much higher (week after week).
Pain scores: somewhat high; load progression: quite high.

You're potentially working towards an injury. You encounter pain and your load progression is quite high. Try to take some rest and lower your weekly cumulative load for some time. Also try to keep your load progression scores a little bit above 100%. 

  1. Pain scores higher than 6; load progression lower, equal or higher than 100%. 
Pain scores: quite high; load progression: OK or quite high

When pain scores are, and remain, higher than 6 for several sessions, we advise you to consult a healthcare professional. 


It’s possible that you experience pain, although your load progression might be within limits (~ or slightly higher than 100%). A possible reason for this is that, although you’re load progression is ok, the load you currently experience is too high. This means that your cumulative (or total) weekly load is too high. It’s important to anticipate and to lower your weekly cumulative load.