If you’re exploring AI in our sport, you've probably heard the debates - Do you use AI or do you go the old-fashioned route?  With the rapid advancement of technology, discussions around AI in sports coaching have stirred up curiosity, excitement, and a fair share of misconceptions. I have read several articles over recent months that explores AI’s limits in sports coaching, highlighting the importance of human connection. Their arguments are often around the irreplaceable qualities of human coaching. Some assumptions about AI in training overlook the complexity and unique advantages these platforms can offer. Let’s dive deeper into how AI-driven platforms like TriDot work, what they bring to the table, and how they can support coaches and athletes alike. Perhaps I might even convince you that AI training platforms and human coaching aren’t just compatible – they’re better together…

For the purpose of this article, I am using TriDot Training as the comparison platform to traditional here. TriDot is an AI-driven training platform that leverages over 20 years of data to deliver optimised, personalised training plans, empowering coaches and athletes alike to achieve their best with precision and adaptability. It is also the platform that we at Precision Coaching have chosen to use going forward over and above the other AI or non-AI training platforms out there, of which there are many to choose from.

First, it’s important to make a clear distinction between AI training platforms and AI coaching platforms. TriDot, for example, is NOT an “AI coaching platform” but rather an AI training platform. This difference may seem subtle but is crucial. TriDot’s core purpose is to provide optimised, data-driven training designed for both athletes and coaches who work with athletes. The platform focuses on training structure and precision, allowing coaches to enhance their impact. Coaches remain essential in delivering the personal touch, guidance, emotional support, and customised insight that no machine can replicate.

TriDot has developed a training methodology grounded in over 20 years of data from more than 250,000 athletes and over 100 million prescribed workouts. This robust, constantly evolving dataset allows TriDot to craft training plans that respond to individual needs based on factors such as gender, age, training age, location, and sport-specific experience. Far from pulling generic data from the internet, TriDot’s approach leverages years of big data analysis to identify patterns that maximise effectiveness for each unique athlete. This data-driven structure provides athletes with plans that are both highly customised and rooted in proven outcomes.

For coaches, TriDot serves as an advanced tool that extends their capabilities rather than replacing them. TriDot’s AI-driven insights provide a powerful foundation for coaches to work from, freeing them to focus on the unique, human aspects of coaching: motivating, connecting, and supporting athletes through complex, individualised challenges. Rather than attempting to mimic a coach’s work, TriDot gives coaches deeper insights, enabling them to adjust and enhance their guidance for each athlete.

One area where TriDot has introduced significant innovation is in how it measures stress. Traditionally, coaches have relied on the Training Stress Score (TSS) as a standard metric, but this method has limitations in accurately capturing an athlete’s true training load and recovery needs. TriDot has developed a new metric, Normalised Training Stress (NTS), which provides a more precise measurement of stress and necessary recovery. NTS allows coaches to gain a clearer understanding of how training impacts an athlete's body, resulting in better-informed training adjustments and massively reducing injury risks. For coaches committed to making informed, scientifically backed decisions, NTS offers a valuable new metric, elevating their ability to fine-tune their athletes training.

What I do categorically agree with which AI naysayers always want highlight, is that AI platforms do not possess emotional intelligence. I am delighted that we agree on something! Here’s the thing, neither do static plans that you can buy online from non-AI platforms. AI cannot replicate human insight as much as static plans that you can buy on Training Peaks. Platforms like TriDot DO NOT aim to replace emotional intelligence – they serve to enhance a coach’s capacity to provide effective guidance. TriDot’s data-driven insights enable coaches to make precise adjustments that align with an athlete’s physiological responses, while the coach remains essential for interpreting and addressing personal factors such as motivation, mental resilience, and lifestyle challenges. The AI doesn’t compete with human coaching; it complements it by handling the analysis and adjusting training based on performance data, so the coach can focus on the athlete’s personal and mental journey.

Additionally, TriDot’s system incorporates key variables like training age and sport-specific experience, which influence how an athlete progresses in each discipline. For example, TriDot recognises that someone with a long swimming history will likely progress differently from a complete beginner. This nuanced approach enables the AI to adjust to each athlete’s unique background, delivering training plans that acknowledge and respond to individual progression.

The assumption that AI can’t measure injury risk accurately is also worth reconsidering. Through continuous data analysis, TriDot has established training protocols that have reduced injury risk by 3x compared to athletes on non-AI platforms. TriDot’s approach doesn’t replace a coach’s judgment in detecting potential issues, but it provides a framework that enhances injury prevention and recovery.

For female athletes, training requires an understanding of how hormonal fluctuations impact performance and recovery. The fact of the matter is that the science in this area is still very much evolving. Many coaches themselves don’t have the experience to understand this and work very much on an individual basis with their female athletes to understand their needs on a monthly cyclical basis.

The idea that AI falls short when supporting high-performance athletes also misses the mark. TriDot’sdata-driven approach is particularly valuable for elite and professional athletes who need precise, adaptable training. However, I will concede and agree that elite athletes will benefit most from combining AI training insights with a skilled coach who can interpret and adjust plans to fit their day-to-day needs. The AI’s capacity to rapidly process data and adjust plans provides a level of efficiency that allows coaches to work more effectively with their athletes, ensuring that high-level performers get the best of both worlds.

My professional opinion having coached on both Non-Ai and AI platforms and having a deep-rooted understanding of both… AI platforms and human coaches do not stand in opposition; they are an ideal match. While AI handles the vast quantities of data and adjustments, we as human coach brings the empathy, emotional intelligence, and tailored support needed to help athletes thrive.

I do not believe you can compare AI platforms and human coaches. This is not the correct comparison. The correct comparison is twofold. 1. Using an AI-driven plan vs a static, downloadable training plan both without a coach, and 2. A coach, coaching an athlete on an AI-Driven platform vs a non-AI driven platform.  For athletes seeking structure, AI platforms like TriDot offer a dynamic, evolving approach that outpaces one-size-fits-all templates. The coach is separate decision all together, we should not be compared to AI. 

The future of AI in sports training lies in collaboration, not competition, with human coaches. AI excels at data processing, providing insights that allow coaches to elevate their impact. In an ideal world, athletes benefit from the combination: data-backed precision alongside human insight. By embracing the strengths of both AI and human coaching, we unlock the potential to enhance each athlete’s journey, achieving progress that neither could accomplish alone.

The discussion around AI in sports training and coaching will no doubt continue, but understanding the unique roles each can play allows us to focus on what really matters: helping athletes reach their goals with clarity, care, and innovation. And ultimately, isn’t that what every coach – human or AI-assisted – is here to do?

One thing is for sure, in my professional opinion: “AI won’t steal a coach’s role from them, but a coach who has learned how to use it might.” - Hovhannes Avoyan

Raya Usher, Head of Development, Precision Coaching