ActiveI’ve spent four months with Strava’s AI-powered Athlete Intelligence feature – here’s everything you need to know aboutCan AI make me a better runner? There is only one way to find outWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveI’ve spent four months with Strava’s AI-powered Athlete Intelligence feature – here’s everything you need to know aboutCan AI make me a better runner? There is only one way to find outWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Can AI make me a better runner? There is only one way to find out
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
I had the privilege of being invited toStrava Camp 2024this past May, where the team behind everyone’s favourite training platform unveiled an array of exciting new features, including the highly anticipated Athlete Intelligence.
As one of the attendees, I’ve enjoyed early access to these updates—Dark Modeincluded—long before their public release. Over the past four months, I’ve had the opportunity to explore them extensively. While many of these features are still in beta, they offer a clear glimpse of what users can expect once they go live.
What is Strava Athlete Intelligence?
Athlete Intelligence is a new feature available to Strava subscribers that transforms your training data into a concise, easy-to-understand summary highlighting your achievements and fitness goals. Leveraging machine learning, it analyses data from every ride, run, walk, and hike, providing personalised insights to “help you maximise your next workout.”
Essentially, Athlete Intelligence analyses all your workout data, including your recent and past performance, training load, and environmental parameters, and creates a bite-size summary of the workout so that non-data-savvy athletes can understand what all the data means.
How does Athlete Intelligence work?
Athlete Intelligence is automatically generated once a workout is uploaded to Strava and appears among your Activities. However, you must click on the activity for machine learning to kick in. That’s all!
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
What information does Athlete Intelligence provide?
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“You spent most of your run in the Moderate [heart rate] zone, with a brief dip into Tempo. This balance is key building a solid endurance base while gently pushing your limits.”
“You’ve outdone yourself with a faster pace and more elevation gain than your monthly averages. Your heart rate data shows you’re pushing the limits!”
“Your pace is showing solid consistency with a mix of tempo and VO2 Max efforts. Great job maintaining a strong pace, especially on those VO2 Max zones!”
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Where does Athlete Intelligence shine?
Here’s an example after a run in 30-degree Celsius heat with high humidity levels:
“You tackled some tough conditions with a positive spirit, maintaining a good effort level throughout. The run was a bit slower and had more elevation gain than your monthly average, but considering the heat and humidity, you showed great adaptability. Keep up the good work, and remember, every run is a step forward.”
What are the limitations of Athlete Intelligence?
First and foremost, Athlete Intelligence doesn’t know your training plan, so it can only ever comment on your current workout from the perspective of your past training. It doesn’t know your current goals or what races you are coming up with, which makes it impossible to recommend training load and recovery suggestions.
You can, of course, set distance and segment goals, but as far as I’m concerned, there is no way to add a race and work towards a certain pace/time goal, likeGarmin’s Race Widget.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Is the Athlete’s Intelligence feature worth it?
If I had to pay for Athlete Intelligence as a standalone feature, I likely wouldn’t. While it’s enjoyable and certainly a nice touch, the data it offers isn’t substantial enough to significantly elevate my workouts.
That said, Athlete Intelligence is just one part of the broader suite available to Strava Subscribers. This includes advanced performance analytics, real-time competition through live segments, comprehensive route planning, safety features like Beacon for live tracking, and goal-setting tools to help you improve and track progress more effectively.
And with exciting upcoming features – such as Weekly and Night Heatmaps, Generative Routes, and an enhanced Flyover mode – the package becomes even more compelling. When you factor in Athlete Intelligence, it’s hard not to see the overall appeal.
Hop over toStravato find out more about Athlete Intelligence and the Strava Subscription benefits.
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