For the athlete, there's a balance to be sought in order to develop and then maintain a maximum level of fitness. Just as it's possible to undertrain, it is also possible to overtrain.
When you've got a marathon or some other big event approaching, how do you maintain this precious balance?
Many athletes, under supervision of their coaches, will choose to embark on a process called tapering. As the word implies, the athlete will taper, or reduce their level of exercise for days or weeks before the coming event.
Muscles benefit because of a lessening of strain on them. Tapering's benefits extend beyond the muscles, however, potentially affecting every body system, allowing greater restoration after exercise.
Tapering will be done in different ways, for different periods of time, depending on the type of athletics involved. For a sprinter, for instance, a few days of tapering may be sufficient, while a marathoner may need a few weeks of tapering to really do the job.
A good coach will determine what level of activity is best for an individual athlete, being careful to require neither too much nor too little working out on the athlete's part. Each athlete is different, so this can be a very challenging task.
About.com describes another approach which combines tapering with an introduction of high-intensity interval training in the final week before an event. This approach was the result of research from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
In the study, the high-intensity low-volume group increased their endurance by 22 percent. Carbohydrate fuel and enzyme activity in the leg muscles of these athletes increased. The density of red blood cells and total blood volume also increased, according to the Washington Running Report.
The low-intensity moderate-volume taper group only improved 6 percent. No change occurred with other groups.
About.com suggested that a general guideline might be to taper for a week, if the event is going to be an hour, or less than an hour long. An event that will last more than an hour may be best prepared for by tapering for two weeks beforehand.
As you approach your event, you'll want to lean more toward recovery and away from piling more strain on your body.
Taper your usual workouts, while maintaining interval training practices. Continue to reduce your workouts, in number and in intensity.
The last few days before your event, you should have tapered your workouts so that they are enough to keep your muscles warm and to know your way around the course.
Jody Smith is a freelance writer for EmpowHER.com.
Sources:
In Sports,What is Tapering?
http://www.wisegeek.com/in-sports-what-is-tapering.htm
How to Begin Tapering Prior to an Endurance Competition
How to Taper Before a Triathlon
http://www.ehow.com/how_4479849_taper-before-triathlon.html
Tapering: Short and Fast Is Best
http://www.runwashington.com/news/1135/310/Tapering-Short-and-Fast-Is-Best.htm
Planning the Right Taper: Fast, Exponential Decay May Be the Way
http://runningresearchnews.com/News_And_Events.php?cid=1&iid=98
