It may sound illogical: after intense training, you would expect fatigue, and after a rest day, better results. Yet sometimes the opposite happens Readiness jumps up after exertion and drops on a rest day. Although surprising, this is a common physiological reaction.

1. The body sometimes reacts to intense load with a “positive effect”

After a strong, well-timed training stimulus, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) can respond with:

• immediate strengthening of recovery activity,

• rapid activation of the parasympathetic branch,

• replenishing energy and neural resources,

• increased adaptability.

This may result in higher Readiness a positive adaptation to high-quality stimulus.

This reaction appears more often in individuals with good fitness and a stable adaptive profile.

2. Psychophysiology plays a significant role

Intense activity can influence neurotransmitters such as:

• serotonin,

• dopamine,

• endorphins,

which may produce feelings of euphoria or well-being and this can be reflected in ANS activity.

The Readiness score may therefore appear paradoxically higher.

3. A drop in Readiness on a rest day is more common than it seems

A rest day does not automatically equal optimal recovery:

• rest day + psychological stress → lower Readiness,

• rest day may still include poor sleep or suboptimal lifestyle choices,

• the body may start processing accumulated fatigue with a delay,

• ANS may slow down due to lack of stimulus.

Rest ≠ regeneration.
Readiness reflects the overall ANS state, not simply the absence of physical load.

4. ANS reactions are not linear

Some physiological responses appear with delay:

• heavy load → high Readiness immediately, but decline the following day,

• rest day → lower Readiness, because hidden factors (sleep, stress, fatigue) surface once the body slows down.

What you consciously expect is not always what your physiology is actually doing.

5. What do we recommend observing?

• long-term trends, not single-day results,

• the relationship between load type, timing, and the ANS response,

• how your body reacts to different recovery types (active vs. passive),

• whether similar fluctuations repeat- this may reveal your adaptation profile.

Summary

Readiness may increase after training because:

• the body responds with recovery activation,

• the ANS replenishes resources,

• psychophysiological processes temporarily increase parasympathetic activity.

Readiness may decrease after rest because:

• rest does not automatically equal regeneration,

• psychological stress, sleep, or accumulated fatigue may surface,

• lack of stimulus can slow down ANS activity.

These responses are completely natural and not a measurement error.