Tapering For Enhanced Performance
Tapering off has a myriad of meanings; if done correctly, it could mean the difference between success and failure. It is typical for athletes in a single-event competition like a marathon to adjust their training in the lead-up, but tapering is also regularly implemented in other sporting activities.
Different explanations have been utilized to explain how an athlete’s practice regimen is altered during the final days before a race. The coach lessens the workload of the athlete before they compete to help them perform at optimal levels. This reduction in workload is considered a taper.
Typically, a taper is referred to as a decrease in physical exercise before a contest.
Primary Aim of a Taper
The purpose of tapering is to get the athlete ready to perform at their best for a particular event, usually, the one for which they have been preparing for the whole year.
This is typically done by gradually decreasing the training intensity so that the fatigue (mental and physical) that arises in response to the practice stays the same, but the fitness that is specific to the sport remains intact.
Using the tapering technique makes it possible for an athlete to decrease the strain on their body, leading to better performance.
Research has proven that taking a taper period helps to decrease fatigue and slightly boosts performance by increasing readiness.
When the physical exhaustion of the athlete has decreased due to taking a break, they may develop a sense of psychological well-being, such as feeling like they are doing better, being in a better mood, and feeling less tired and more energized.
The results of this research suggest that the physical effects of a training program take place quickly and are concealed by fatigue when tapering begins, whereas the mental effects of the training program happen because of the taper.
Hence, utilizing the taper method diminishes both bodily and mental exhaustion, which encourages increased performance.
Factors Affecting a Taper
Ways to incorporate a taper period into an annual exercise program exist in great numbers. It is essential to change the workout regime to lower the exercise workload (amount of exercise, strength and even how often one works out).
The success of diminishing the training load will rely on the length of the taper and how it compares to the previous training load.
If the waning of intensity fails to end soon, then both exhaustion and physical preparedness will suffer, ultimately resulting in a loss of any improvements previously made. In this case, there would be no improvement in output and the tapering would be considered to be unsuccessful.
The instructor is thus required to comprehend the ties between the strength of practice, the amount of training, the number of times training is done, and the period of the winding-down phase.
Training Intensity
The evidence from scientific research suggests that when reducing the amount and frequency of your workouts during a period of rest, it could make sense to keep your exercise intensity steady or even increase it a bit.
The data suggests that keeping up the same level of effort during the taper is linked to the ability to maintain improvements in performance achieved through increased training efforts.
It has been proposed that the degree of difficulty of the training is an integral element in sustaining physical changes resulting from training during the reduction in activity.
When looking into research related to endurance training, scientists have pointed out that lower-intensity exercises (lower than 70 per cent of VO2 max) during the time leading up to an event will result in either degradation or preservation of endurance capabilities.
When intensity levels in the taper go above 90% of VO2 max, it has typically been shown to improve performance.
When looking at strength and power training, researchers have found that keeping the intensity high during the reduction of training volume will boost strength and power performance.
It is prudent to keep up the work intensity during the decrease in activity and to fine-tune the activity by changing the amount of training, or how often it is done, or the length of the taper.
Training Volume
The scientific literature is likely to focus the most on the proposed strategy of lowering training quantity during the taper period to lower the training burden. During a taper, coaches can lessen the training load by decreasing the length of each session, diminishing the number of training sessions, or a combination of the two.
It is better to shorten the length of each training session instead of cutting back on training times, as this seems to have a stronger influence on the success of a taper.
The amount of training completed before beginning the taper will determine the amount of training that has to be reduced during the taper period to acquire the best results.
It has been noted in legitimate research that there can be a reduction of the half to nine-tenths of a typical training volume in any of the athletic practices of swimming, running, cycling, triathlon and weightlifting.
It has been observed that athletes trained in endurance activities such as cycling and running who have reduced their training by 50 to 70 per cent were still able to keep up or increase their training-generated changes.
It seems that reducing training volume by 75% provides the best results compared to reducing it by half. It seems that an athlete’s physical well-being and performance are improved when going through a taper program of reduced intensity, as opposed to one of moderate intensity.
Research indicates that cutting your training volume by between 41-60% while tapering is the best way to improve your performance.
The amount the training load is cut will depend on how hard the person was working before the taper starts and how long the taper is to last. If the work you did in training before you decrease the amount of exercise is intense, then it may be best to reduce the amount of exercise you do by 60% to 90%, compared to what you were doing before you decreased your activity level, to eliminate fatigue.
If a large drop in training occurs, reducing the length of tapering off may be necessary to offset any possible decline in physical performance resulting from diminishing training-related positive changes.
Training Frequency
Decreasing the number of times you train is another well-known way to lower the amount of exercise you do while tapering. It has been noted that if you cut down the quantity of pre-taper exercise by half, it can heighten performance.
It has been demonstrated that lessening training frequency over 2 weeks can preserve the physical and performance progress that came from training in athletic groups.
This research suggests that adjusting the number of training sessions could be an effective way of changing the amount of training.
It seems that moderately trained individuals can maintain their physiological changes over time when they reduce their pre-taper training load to between 30% to 50%. However, highly trained athletes may need more frequent training while tapering to preserve their skill level.
It appears that the most beneficial output and technique are possible when training is kept at 80% of its original level before tapering for an event.
Focusing on sports that require electric power (such as 60m dashes, jumps, and throws in track & field, and diving), fewer training sessions during the tapering period can be beneficial. This could be accomplished by scheduling frequent rest days during the micro-cycles, which could help the myosin-heavy chain to transition back to the fast IIX phenotype, ultimately boosting the chances of good performance.
High-level team sports typically plan breaks of two or three days away from practice, either at the beginning of their tapering period or between the first and second weeks.
The reason this is done is that usually, athletes involved in team sports come into final tournaments and cup finals over-trained because of the extended competition period.
Consequently, sports medicine professionals must rigorously assess the ratio of testosterone to cortisol, as well as free testosterone levels, for both professional and national teams, and they may want to compare levels to one another throughout the season.
Taper Duration
Figuring out how long a taper should last is particularly difficult since a lot of elements come into play. For instance, the amount of training done before the taper period can have a major impact on how long the taper should be to get rid of training exhaustion and increase readiness.
The extent or form of reduction in volume that is experienced during tapering affects how long it takes to achieve an increased level of readiness without compromising the level of adjustment (readiness). A decrease in training volume necessitates a shorter taper period.
Research suggests that well-trained athletes will see a physical, psychological and improved performance if they undergo a tapering period ranging from one to four weeks, with one to two weeks being the ideal amount of time.
Several writers have proposed that it takes between 8 and 14 days to get rid of tiredness and stay away from the bad consequences of cutting back on training that could happen if the taper is too extended.
It seems that the length of a transition period is unique to each person due to disparities in how the body and mind shift in reaction to lowered exercise intensity. It is suggested that the amount of time to taper should be adjusted for each athlete.
Freshening Up
There is a broad agreement among sports scientists on a general pattern, though the details are under discussion. Simon Ward, a three-time 220 Coach of the Year, suggests that you should lower the amount of exercise you do, stay consistent with your exercises, and maintain a certain level of intensity so that your body remembers what its goal is.
“That’s generally accepted among most coaches in most sports. Decrease running mileage first since it has the most significant effect on muscles, then biking and finally swimming. This is an opportunity to eliminate any ongoing soreness and discomfort. Do not attempt to increase your fitness level now that the race is coming up quickly, as there may not be enough time for the body to process the training. Instead, focus on keeping yourself motivated and feeling good physically and mentally.
Ward advises not to completely switch off due to possible technical issues.
He carries on by saying that these athletics necessitate a certain level of ability. Almost all triathletes lack swimming proficiency, therefore they experience a lapse in their execution of the water’s movements. Riding a bicycle has a specific flow to the pedalling motion, so when you spend a bit of time away from the bike it’s strange; if you cease running regularly you will lose your coordination.
The key worry is transitioning the body from intense training to race readiness.
Kate Spilsbury, researching the impact of tapering on high-level athletes at the English Institute of Sport, has remarked that with the training for three sports, periods of rest are typically brief, resulting in a buildup of exhaustion.
This signifies a diminished amount of muscle glycogen stores and damage to the muscle. Both are related to long-term inflammation, which has been seen to reduce energy and cause possible hormonal deviations, symbolizing a deteriorating environment. Physical activity that requires more exertion leads to a quicker rate of protein digestion, resulting in fibres being broken down faster. This, in turn, means that more muscle fibres need to be used to produce the same output in performance.
“Tapering restores the physiological capacities,” Spilsbury continues. Investigations have revealed that when tapering lasts from six days up to four weeks, performance will be better. The more intense the workout before the taper begins, the more drastic and expanded the taper should be. A substantial decrease of 40-60% in the number of intervals, while preserving the rate and even raising the intensity of workouts, is necessary to increase performance. Many athletes are not tapering their training intensities soon enough and tend to reach their maximum performance level very late.
Go With Feel
Spilsbury’s research shows that individuals who have participated in training for a longer period will lose acquired fitness quicker than those who did not train as long if they cease training completely. This implies that experienced athletes need less of a recovery period after engaging in strenuous physical activity.
One should also take body type into account; people with a slighter build (ectomorphs) can typically bounce back faster than those who are bulkier (mesomorphs or endomorphs).
Monitoring the effectiveness of a taper is not straightforward.
Spilsbury states that while physiological factors such as metabolic, neuromuscular, hormonal, and haematological reactions to tapering occur, the actual indication of performance is due to the intricate connection of physiological factors, which cannot be entirely understood. It may be more beneficial for athletes to rely on their own instincts and experimentation instead of getting blood work and clinical examinations done.
Ward suggests utilizing the Training Stress Balance performance quantification, which is calculated by reviewing the distinction between the chronic strain (built up gradually) and the immediate strain (everyday pressure).
He emphasizes that during a progressive training block, the current load is higher than the normal level, therefore making the training strain imbalance unfavourable. If you want the outcome of the race to be the opposite of what it is currently, you should slow down. If you just sit on the couch and do nothing, you may get a brief burst of energy, but you’ll lose your fitness at the same time.
Nail Your Nutrition
With decreased training, worries about the amount and kind of substrates necessary for nutrition come up. In the late 1960s, a technique was created that included a period of low consumption of carbohydrates before three to four days of increased consumption just before taking part in a competition.
It was conjectured that depriving the body of carbohydrates would trigger the enzyme glycogen synthase, with the replenishment stage then increasing muscle energy reserves past the baseline.
The English Institute of Sport, led by Kevin Currell, the head of performance nutrition, has advocated a more moderate dieting plan which does not include exhaustion of the body. Currell had six years of experience working with Great Britain’s triathlon team, during which a prominent success was obtained at the London Olympic Games.
Linia Patel, a sports dietitian at Pure Sports Medicine, advocates for elevated carbohydrate intake to the amount of 8-12g per kg of body mass per day. A 75kg man should thereby ingest no less than 600g of carbohydrates each day.
Patel suggested that fat consumption should be lowered by 20-30 per cent to maintain equal caloric intake. Most carbohydrates should be consumed from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, with two litres of liquid intake each day to maintain good hydration (urine that is a light yellow colour is a good indication of this). Furthermore, it is recommended to have no alcohol. Consume more carbohydrates in the 48 to 72 hours before taking part in a shorter triathlon. You may need to follow a specific dietary regimen for a week leading up to a long courses race like a half or full iron distance. Getting enough rest and relaxation, having good hydration and fuelling your body with carbohydrates all help to strengthen the immune system as immune cells need these elements to work properly.
Simon Ward proposes eliminating fruits and veggies from the meal plan for the two days before the race. He stated that it is likely that your bowels will be loose on the morning of the race. “More fibre will only make things worse. I had a successful experience at Ironman Lanzarote when I ate foods that contained things like rice and pasta. Also, consider increasing salt intake the day before if it’s a hot climate.” As carbohydrate requires water to support them, there can be an increase in weight but, says Ward, not one triathlete should worry about: “It’s transient, and if it’s an Ironman you’ll probably emerge about three kilos lighter.”
He believes it is okay to consume a bit of red wine before going to bed early before a race and he thinks that it might help you to sleep better. On the morning of the race, it is up to you what to eat, but a small bowl of oatmeal or a simple bagel with jelly or honey should be enough.
