External and Internal Loads in Sports Science: Time to Rethink?

Abstract

The current paper discusses the concepts and definitions of external and internal loads in sports science and the quantification of athletes’ performance and psychobiological responses. We provide practical solutions for improving human performance assessment by suggesting related terms and consistent terminology that align with biomechanical standards. This will help to avoid discrepancies in the meaning of terms across various subdisciplines of sport and exercise science and medicine. Where possible, exercise performance should be characterized and quantified according to physical quantities such as time, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, force, torque, work, power, and the International System of Units. These quantifications can be performed for exercises, sessions, microcycles, and mesocycles. Standardization of these terms and measurements would enable consistent communication among scientists of all knowledge areas.