„Success depends on digital training“

In conversation with Lukas Stahl

In the opinion of Lukas Stahl, one of Germany’s most promising triathletes, digital training methods hold the key to success in elite sport. In particular, he uses digital training tools to improve the quality of his training and improve his power management.

What digital tools and aids do you use as a high-performance athlete? How much benefit do you get from them?

I can access the training plans developed for me by my two coaches via an online platform whenever I want. The plans are all harmonized with one another and all completed units are also automatically uploaded to the platform together with all the relevant training data. In addition, for cycling, for example, I train indoors on virtual training platforms. These allow me to cycle real courses in a virtual environment and key data such as wattage and generated power are collected automatically. We analyze this data immediately after the end of training. This allows us to see very precisely whether it was sensible to generate so much power on any given section of the route or whether, instead, it was a waste of energy. Over time, I have used all this data to construct a sort of database which shows me very precisely the areas in which I have developed and the progress I have made but also, for example, where there is a significant need for further training. In this way, these digital training tools, which also include pulse and lactate measurements for example, definitely help improve the quality of the training. They help me improve my power management and, ultimately, will be decisive for my success as a professional in upcoming competitions. My current aim is to qualify for the Ironman World Championship, which will be held in Hawaii in October.

How did you get into triathlon and how did you become one of the world’s top triathletes?

I practiced canoe slalom for over ten years, during seven of which I rowed successfully for the national team. Unfortunately, I never realized my dream of taking part in the Olympic Games. Just for fun, I decided run in a half-marathon in Augsburg five years ago. Although it was an enormous physical challenge for me, I also found that I enjoyed it immensely. Then when the Covid pandemic arrived and we weren’t able to go canoing any more, we turned to cycling as a way of training instead. At that time, I also started swimming and that’s how I arrived at triathlon. In 2021, I completed my first Ironman. To my surprise, I immediately became European Champion in my age group and also qualified for the Ironman Championship in Hawaii. Given the enormous distances involved in Ironman, one important factor of success is a high level of discipline and staying power. This applies both to the competition itself and to the training, which takes me 35-40 hours per week. It is important to have clearly defined aims and to keep on pursuing these even on days when you’re not feeling particularly motivated. During digital training, key data such as wattage and generated power are automatically recorded.