Load
TAP uses load as an umbrella term for demands placed on the body and mind. Exercise, cognitive tasks and environmental changes need descriptions of their type, intensity, duration and context.
Updated 2026-10-27 · Archived
This is the text and publication record captured for this edition. Later corrections appear in subsequent editions. Website design and interactive software are not archived here.
At a glance
Life makes demands. How does the body respond?
TAP uses load as an umbrella term for demands placed on the body and mind. Exercise, cognitive tasks and environmental changes need descriptions of their type, intensity, duration and context.
Load is not necessarily harmful. Intensity, duration and individual context all matter.
Begin with the demand
Training, demanding tasks and disrupted routines place different demands on us. TAP uses load to connect these settings while specifying the demands in each discussion.
Context changes the question
Sport recovery frameworks consider training alongside other life demands. Predictive regulation offers another way to think about how resources meet anticipated needs.[1][2]
How to describe a demand
Start with the specific demand, its duration and the function of interest, then select an appropriate observation method. Exercise workload, cognitive tasks and environmental exposures use different units and need their own context.
References
- Peter Sterling (2012). Allostasis: a model of predictive regulation. Physiology & Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.06.004
- Michael Kellmann, Maurizio Bertollo, Laurent Bosquet, Michel Brink, Aaron J. Coutts, Rob Duffield, Daniel Erlacher, Shona L. Halson, Anne Hecksteden, Jahan Heidari, K. Wolfgang Kallus, Romain Meeusen, Iñigo Mujika, Claudio Robazza, Sabrina Skorski, Ranel Venter, Jürgen Beckmann (2018). Recovery and Performance in Sport: Consensus Statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0759
Publication record
TAP-CON-0001 · v0.2 · English
The Allostasis Project is founded and supported by Resilio.
Record for v0.2 · Updated
Editorial responsibility: TAP Editorial Team
Scientific review
Not yet scientifically reviewed
Editorial note
Under the editorial responsibility of the TAP Editorial Team, this publication used AI assistance for content organization and editing. Scientific review is recorded separately on this page.
Download detailed editorial record (JSON) ↓
How responsibilities and review are recorded ↗© The Allostasis Project. All rights reserved. Reproduction or adaptation requires separate permission, subject to applicable legal exceptions.