TRIMP (Training Impulse) is a family of heart-rate-derived load metrics. Banister's original formula multiplies session duration by average heart rate (normalized to the athlete's HR reserve) and an intensity weighting; later versions (Edwards', Lucia's, Stagno's) use zone-time distributions to weight high-intensity work more heavily.
TRIMP is more objective than sRPE because it doesn't depend on athlete reporting, but it requires every athlete to wear a HR monitor and produces values that depend on individual HRmax — making cross-athlete comparison harder than sRPE × duration.
Often used in endurance sport (cycling, triathlon) where HR data is universally collected; less common in team sport where sRPE × duration dominates.
Where it's used
Endurance-sport load monitoring, sports-science labs with continuous HR data on every athlete.
References
- Banister EW, Calvert TW (1980). Planning for future performance: implications for long term training. Can J Appl Sport Sci.
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