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Tapering for distance races
A brief summary of some of the research

 
- A well trained athlete can rest for five days with no loss of endurance.
 
- If you reduce your mileage by one third, your fitness level will not decline for three or four months, indeed some research suggests that a two thirds reduction will have the same effect.
 
- Intensity is the key to preserving fitness. The training volume can be reduced but not the intensity.
 
- A reduction of training volume by two thirds for a period of 15 days improved the muscular power of swimmers and improved their performance by almost 4%. Similar research indicates that 18 days is the maximum period for two thirds tapering. After this the benefits decline.
 
- This suggests that a runner who does 18 miles a week should cut back to 6 miles a week for up to 18 days before a race, but the 6 miles should be done at race pace.
 
- It takes 12 weeks of training at not less than 35 minutes a day, 5 days a week to bring about major physiological changes in the human body.
 
- The benefits of a training session don't show until 14 days afterwards!
 
- Recent research suggests that a reduction of 90% in the week before a race could improve endurance by up to 22%.
In this research the athletes gradually reduced their volume each day during the week and rested completely on the day before the test. A control group reduced by two thirds and only improved by 6%. The training done was fast 500m intervals, 5 on the first day, 4 on the next, 3 on the next etc. Remember this was 10% of what these elite athletes were used to!
 
Arnie
7/3/2007
 
Do not attempt to do any of these activities without qualified coaching supervision

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