# Towards an AI-Based Tailored Training Planning for Road Cyclists: A Case Study
## 4 Results
### Suitability of the Training Plans  
The binary answer provided by each participant informed which planning was better in a given period of training. We asked the coaches for a detailed explanation to understand their choice for each training period. The difference was higher in the six week training period, where 60% of the participants selected control planning. From the qualitative data collected on the reasons that they chose the latter, three of the experts mentioned too high TSS and TSB values in the virtual coach's proposed planning. Most importantly, one mentioned that the TSS values of 457 must not be present in a training plan. The smoother approach to the TSB increase presented by the control training plan has been described by two of these three coaches as a more adequate approach to training. The last one that voted for the control planning mentioned the diversity of the trainings, while the two participants who voted for the virtual coach plan mentioned the session distributions as \"slightly better\" and \"more polarized\" compared to the control plan.  
Results for the same questions across a longer time period demonstrated less discrepancy between the two training plans. Indeed, three coaches voted for the control planning as the best solution for the 14 weeks planning period, while three others voted for the virtual coach training plan. Similar to the previous virtual coach-based plan, the presence of training sessions with a 457 TSS value has been criticized as being too high. The control planning was mentioned as having a more gradual approach with easier workout sessions in terms of TSS and avoids TSB peaks in the high-risk zone (Blog post by [PERSON]: [[https://joefrielsblog.com/managing-training-using-tsb/](https://joefrielsblog.com/managing-training-using-tsb/)]([https://joefrielsblog.com/managing-training-using-tsb/](https://joefrielsblog.com/managing-training-using-tsb/))). The last control planning vote provided the motive that sessions were more diverse and proposed a higher number of anaerobic training. However, it seems that coaches all have their preferred style and approach, as one of them mentioned that the virtual coach planning better suited the training period since it proposed a higher amount of endurance sessions relative to intervals. Another vote was given to the virtual coach plan as the participant noted the gradual increase over the period as preferable. The same expert also mentioned that the planning was better if one planned to build a strong foundation for long-term training. The last coach who voted for the virtual coach mentioned that the control training plan was too poor in terms of the provided training load.  
As in the previous situation, the 24 week training plan proposed as the control received three votes, compared to three votes for the virtual coach-based one. The same expert voted for the control as the virtual coach was presenting 457 TSS sessions. Another participant for the control planning mentioned that the planning was, \"more efficient without firing the rider so much in each session,\" while the last one that also voted for the latter plan mentioned the main presence of anaerobic intervals. One coach mentioned that the virtual coach planning would be more interesting for long-term performance building and argued that this training plan could also be perceived as \"more encouraging from a moral perspective\" with the help of small peaks. Another participant mentioned the fact that the interval quantity was too important in the control training plan and opted for the virtual coach proposition despite a mentioned high amount of endurance sessions. Lastly, the virtual coach planning proposed a fewer number of interval sessions than in the control plan, which resulted in the second vote for the virtual coach-based training plan.