The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast by CTS Are "Recovery Scores" Accurate? Does Recovery Slow With Age? Find out from Christie Aschwanden (#269)
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Aug 27, 2025 Christie Aschwanden, an award-winning science journalist and author of *Good to Go*, dives into the accuracy of recovery scores from fitness trackers. She discusses how wearable technology may not align with an athlete's personal fatigue levels and stresses the importance of self-assessment. Christie also explores how aging impacts recovery time and shares strategies for managing stress and enhancing recovery, emphasizing stillness and relaxation as essential components for athletes and high-performing professionals alike.
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Measure With Purpose
- Measuring lots of data can create "data obesity" and distract from what truly matters.
- Ask what a metric tells you and whether it will change your actions before tracking it.
Use Recovery Scores Selectively
- Don’t blindly trust consumer recovery scores; they often conflict and can create doubt.
- Decide what you want to learn, check sensor accuracy, and only use data that will change your behavior.
Conflicting Device Feedback
- Christie wore multiple devices and found recovery scores that contradicted her subjective feeling.
- The conflicting feedback created doubt and sometimes undermined her own judgment.
