Tapering...One Step at a Time – Part 3
Setting Expectations
Review
In Part 2, we took a quick look at how to create either a simple Step or Linear taper plan, applying each to a hypothetical situation. Then we compared the volume, intensity and load during each taper to the numbers for the previous training phase.
In this article, I will try to bring some other ideas to the surface that will, hopefully, give you some more food for thought.
Today's Topics
There is a lot that people can and do talk about then it comes to tapering and taper plans! In this post, I will try to cover some common themes related to tapering here, such as:
1. Why coaches tend to modify training volume and frequency, as opposed to the training intensity.
2. The effect of rest and recovery during a taper.
3. Why it is okay to ignore some athletic abilities during a taper.
Assumptions
If you read Part 1 and Part 2, then you can skip this this section. Otherwise, here are my assumptions:
4. The Rate of Perceived Exertion is used to track the intensity of each training session.
5. The formula for calculating training load = training volume × intensity.
6. The taper is being used to prepare athletes for the biggest event of the year.
I will start with the most important concept:
Training Volume is the Key Parameter for Tapering!
Remember, a key idea in tapering is that we are lowering the overall training load and at the same time preparing our athletes for a huge event!
Instead of tackling this head on, let's start with a devil's advocate argument: what happens if a coach decides to make modifying the intensity the top priority in order to lower the training load? In other words, lowering the intensity would become the main way of lowering the training load. (See point no.5, above)
This is a reasonable question. I will start by answering it with questions of my own, and some of you may have already anticipated them:
7. Isn't it already hard enough to try and approximate competition intensity in workouts? (Actually, it is super difficult!)
8. Why should I systematically lower the intensity when we are preparing for the most important, and most intense, event(s) of the season?
9. Isn't the point of a taper is to dissipate accumulated fatigue? If so, does keeping the athlete in the gym for the same amount of time help with that?
We do want our athletes to practice in environments that bring them as close to competition intensity as possible as they get closer and closer to the event. Next, when it comes to reducing the training volume, do not discount the potential psychological benefit of an athlete simply knowing that the total training time per practice is going to be lower.
There is some research[1] that has tested out what happens to athletes physical abilities when the intensity is systematically reduced. The results: measurable decreases in both speed and endurance. Conversely, maintaining or increasing the intensity, while lowering the volume of work, has been shown to produce gains in various tests of speed, endurance and strength.
A Quick Note on Micro-cycle Planning
While a coach will plan for an average intensity over a micro-cycle (or a week), if you look at the intensity for each practice session there can and should be variations. For example, it is normal (and recommended) to schedule easier training sessions either before or after the toughest ones.
All that to say, keep an eye on the average weekly volume. Training volume should and will fluctuate over the course of a week.
This leads us directly to the ideas of providing both physical and mental rest during successful tapers
What is With All of This Rest?
If you follow pro sports in North America, then you have heard people in the media talk about "load management". Well, that is exactly what we have been talking about throughout this series! Don't believe me? Just look at what we are trying to manage: the overall training load.
The physical and mental rest allow the athlete to recover from their usual training routine and bounce back faster on a daily basis during the taper period. Because the load (there is that word again!) is lighter, the door is open for both an improved ability to focus and better sleep patterns[2]. The quality of our sleep has an enormous effect on our diet, alertness and ability to focus.
Ignore Athletic Abilities? Crazy Talk?
Not so!
The principle that helps us understand why we can get away with this is residual training effects [3]. Basically, this is about the ability for a person to maintain a certain level of endurance, speed or strength when there is no training programmed for that specific athletic ability. It turns out that our capabilities with regards to endurance and strength can last up to 10-12 weeks before there is a noticeable decline. On the other side of the spectrum is speed, where a regression has been observed after just 1-2 weeks.
While each athlete is a little different, these guidelines seem to have stood the test of time. As a result, if (for example) your athlete has enough strength and you think that they will still be strong enough the day of the event...Then both you and your athlete are well advised to focus your time and energy on something else.
Summary
We took three topics for a spin in this post: modifying training volume, the importance of rest & recovery, and why we can eliminate/ignore some types of training. This was not an exhaustive look by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, it should give you something to think about as you map out your tapering plans!
In the next post of this series, I will look a different style of plan that will give you more options when it comes to reducing the training volume: exponential decay tapers.
Until the Next Time
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References
[1] Mujika, I. (2010). Intense training: The key to optimal performance before and during the taper. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01189.x
[2] Wilson, J. M., & Wilson, G. J. (2008). A Practical Approach to the Taper. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 30(2), 10. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181636dd5
[3] V. Issurin, & Issurin, V. B. (2008). Block periodization versus traditional training theory: A review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 48(1), 65–75.