Use of data

An anomaly (outlier / extreme value) is a data point that is significantly different from the rest of the data and does not fit the general trend.

A bar chart shows the size of a series of data categories; the category with the tallest bar has the highest value (e.g. the greatest fitness score).

Heart-rate range is calculated as maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate (e.g. 200 − 60 = 140 bpm).

On a line graph, a steep upward gradient shows a value rising rapidly (e.g. heart rate rising quickly as exercise intensity increases); a downward gradient shows it falling.

The mean of a data set is calculated by adding up all the values and dividing by the number of values (total ÷ count).

Percentage improvement is calculated as (change in value ÷ original value) × 100; e.g. a 1-mile time improving from 10 to 8 minutes is a 2 ÷ 10 × 100 = 20% improvement.

Comparing pre- and post-training test scores (e.g. VO₂ max) lets a coach judge whether fitness has improved; a higher post-training score shows improvement, justifying an increase in training load.

The range of a data set is the highest value minus the lowest value, and it measures the spread of the data.

On a graph of oxygen uptake against workload, a plateau in oxygen uptake despite increasing workload shows the athlete has reached their maximum aerobic capacity (VO₂ max).

Win percentage is calculated as (matches won ÷ total matches played) × 100; e.g. 18 of 24 matches = 75%.