Cardiorespiratory
VO₂ max
One of the better single predictors of cardiorespiratory fitness and long-term health.
Recovery
Resting heart rate
A relatively accessible, low-burden signal of cardiovascular fitness and recovery.
Body composition
Weight
The simplest, noisiest body-composition signal — read alongside fat and muscle mass.
Body fat & muscle mass
Where a running-heavy block might quietly cost muscle, not just fat.
Strength
Strength benchmarks
The counterweight to an aerobic-only plan, logged as an exact protocol.
Cardiometabolic
Blood pressure
A core cardiometabolic marker, and a plausible place to see a training effect.
Glucose
Endurance training can meaningfully affect glucose regulation — worth watching on its own.
Laboratory
Selected blood tests
Panels like lipids and inflammatory markers, beyond what a watch or cuff can measure.