I am delighted to share more details of my new online course, in collaboration with Sport Horizon, the Fundamentals of Load Monitoring.
Athlete load monitoring has never been more important. As sports scientists and strength and conditioning coaches navigate the growing demands on athletes, the ability to turn load monitoring into load management is crucial. That’s why I’ve collaborated with Sport Horizon to create a unique course: The Fundamentals of Load Monitoring. This course doesn’t just cover theory and research—it takes you through the practical application of data analysis and visualisation using Power BI.
Why Load Monitoring Matters
We are seeing headlines everywhere about the increasing workloads athletes face. With greater physical demands, load monitoring plays a vital role in optimising performance while minimising injury risk. Beyond the physiological implications, there are significant financial costs associated with player injuries, with professional sports teams losing hundreds of millions due to athlete unavailability each year. With load monitoring, we set out to promote performance and manage injury risk.
However, data collection alone is not enough. The real challenge is in turning that data into meaningful insights that support decision-making. Our course follows the principle of starting with why and ending with so what, ensuring that every module moves from the underlying theory to practical application.
The Athlete Load Monitoring Cycle
At the heart of this course is a holistic dose-response approach. We don’t just measure training load; we also track how athletes are responding. This cycle is essential for understanding whether an athlete is adapting positively to their training or showing early signs of fatigue or overtraining.
Some of the key questions we address include:
How much load has an athlete accumulated compared to their normal levels?
Has an athlete achieved enough high-speed running exposure?
How is each athlete responding to their training load?
This framework helps practitioners move beyond raw numbers to generate meaningful insights that influence training decisions.
What You’ll Learn in This Course
Our structured nine-module course guides you through:
Introduction to Training Theory – Understanding the principles behind load monitoring.
Measuring Training Load – Exploring internal and external load metrics.
Measuring Athlete Response – Tracking objective and subjective responses.
Building Reports in Power BI – Step-by-step guidance on creating effective dashboards.
Data Communication – Effectively sharing insights with coaches and athletes.
Every module features a dedicated Power BI report, where we guide you through building real-world dashboards that practitioners can use immediately. From RPE analysis to speed exposure and wellness reports, each lesson equips you with tools to enhance your workflow and decision-making. For more on these reports, take a look at the video above in which Ciaran Deely from Sport Horizon and myself share more information.
Why Power BI?
Power BI has become a critical tool for sports scientists due to its ability to automate data workflows, filter large datasets efficiently, and create insightful visualisations. Unlike Excel, which has limitations in data handling and interactivity, Power BI enables practitioners to build dynamic dashboards that facilitate clear and effective communication with coaching staff and multidisciplinary teams.
I love what the team at Sport Horizon are doing in making bespoke sports science courses for Power BI and Tableau. I've previously shared information on some of their other courses, including Power BI for Sports Scientist and Power BI for Strength and Conditioning Coaches.
With this new course, you don’t need prior knowledge of Power BI. We take you from the fundamentals—connecting data sources and setting up reports—to advanced functionalities such as:
Using DAX formulas to create custom calculations.
Building robust data models to ensure efficient analysis.
Creating interactive dashboards to enhance data exploration.
Bringing It All Together
One of the highlights of this course is its final module on communication and data dissemination. We don’t just teach you how to create reports—we show you how to apply them in real-world settings. Whether it’s monitoring acute and chronic workloads, tracking high-speed running exposure, or assessing player wellness, our aim is to empower practitioners with the skills needed to translate data into actionable strategies.
This course is more than just a technical tutorial. It’s a comprehensive learning experience that blends sports science principles with practical data analysis. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to implement a robust load monitoring system tailored to your team’s needs.
This course is designed to bridge the gap between sports science theory and real-world application. If you're looking to enhance your skills in athlete monitoring and data visualisation, The Fundamentals of Load Monitoring is the perfect next step in your professional development.
Click the link below for all the course details and to sign up for a 20% discount 👇
More information will also be sent to Global Performance Insights subscribers soon.
FAQs
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, and performance analysts who want to improve their understanding of load monitoring and data visualisation.
Do I need prior experience with Power BI?
No, the course is structured to guide you from beginner to advanced levels in Power BI, with step-by-step tutorials.
What are the key takeaways from this course?
You'll learn both the theoretical and practical aspects of load monitoring, develop data visualisation skills, and gain confidence in communicating insights to coaching staff and athletes.
Can I apply these skills to other data analysis tools?
Yes, while the course focuses on Power BI, many of the principles—such as structuring data models and building dashboards—are transferable to other tools like Tableau.
Where can I sign up?
The course will launch on Thursday 3rd April on the Sport Horizon website. However, if you purchase the course before this date, you'll receive a 20% early bird discount. Sign up here and more information will follow very shortly!