Load Tolerance

Load tolerance is your system’s capacity to handle mechanical stress without breakdown. Problems arise when load exceeds tolerance: too much volume, too high intensity, or inadequate recovery.

Dose-response principle

Every activity has a dose. Too little does not build capacity. Too much exceeds tolerance and causes flares. The right dose sits in the zone where you challenge the system without exceeding its current capacity.

Dose includes:

Volume: total amount of work (distance, reps, time)
Intensity: how hard (weight, speed, effort level)
Frequency: how often
Recovery: time between sessions

Flare logic

A flare is not failure. It is information: you exceeded current capacity.

When you flare:

Rest 1–2 days or reduce activity to baseline
Resume at 30–50% lower dose
Progress gradually (10–20% per week) as long as symptoms stay stable
If you flare again at the same dose, reassess the intervention or get professional input

Do not push through flares. Repeated overload can worsen sensitization and delay recovery.

”Too much too soon”

The most common error is increasing load faster than tissue and control systems can adapt. Tissue tolerance builds slowly. Neural control takes time. Jumping from zero to high volume or intensity often triggers flares.

Examples:

Returning to running after months off and doing your old mileage immediately
Adding heavy deadlifts without building single-leg control first
Walking 10 miles when your recent max is 3 miles

Start conservatively. Progress in small increments. Boring consistency beats aggressive spikes.

Pacing strategies

Start low

Begin at 50–60% of what you think you can handle. This creates a buffer and lets you assess response.

Progress slowly

Increase by 10–20% per week if symptoms stay stable. Some people need slower progressions (5–10%).

Monitor response

Track symptoms during, immediately after, and the next day. If symptoms spike or do not return to baseline within a few hours, the dose was too high.

Reduce on bad days

If sleep was poor, stress is high, or you’re fatigued, reduce dose by 20–30%. Capacity fluctuates. Adjust load to match current state.

Avoid spikes

Consistent, moderate load is better than erratic high-low patterns. A spike day often triggers a flare.

Building capacity

Capacity increases through progressive overload: gradually increasing load while staying within tolerance. This requires:

Consistent exposure (frequency matters)
Small, incremental increases
Adequate recovery
Monitoring and adjusting based on response

Expect weeks to months to build meaningful capacity. Tissue adaptation is slow. Neural control improves faster, but both take time.

When pacing is not enough

If you follow conservative pacing and still flare repeatedly, the problem may not be dose alone. Consider:

Is the intervention appropriate for your failure mode?
Is there a control or timing issue that needs addressing first?
Are multipliers (sleep, stress, fueling) amplifying symptoms?
Do you need professional assessment?

Pacing is essential, but it does not replace addressing the underlying control or capacity problem.

Summary

Flares are information: you exceeded current tolerance
Start low, progress slowly, monitor response
Consistent moderate load beats erratic spikes
Capacity-building takes weeks to months
Adjust dose based on sleep, stress, and recovery state

Last updated: 2026-01-15