During our swimming careers we have all experienced the feeling of "being in-shape" and not quite "in-shape".
My question is this; From a physiological or Kinesiological standpoint, what is happening in your body when you can so easily go from being in-shape to losing that in a matter of a week or two?
I'm an old masters swimmer now but even swimming High School, Club or College whenever I would go on a vacation or get sick for a week, it took two - three weeks to get back to where I was before the vacation or sickness?
What is happening in our body when we can swim a 1:07 BR and then two weeks later can't break 1:10???
Thanks in advance for your answers and opinions...
:confused:
Parents
Former Member
Muscle atrophy, I imagine.
Long term yeah, but not in a few weeks.
It's several things. Some happen right away, some take longer. If you want to read the scientific literature on this, the term to search is "deconditioning." As in, the opposite of conditioning. Every adaptation that your body makes to training gets lost if you don't keep training. Off the top of my head:
Skill memory
Motor unit recruitment efficiency
Enzymes in energy pathways
Physical muscle changes (e.g., capillary density)
If you're really interested in this stuff, read Maglischo.
Muscle atrophy, I imagine.
Long term yeah, but not in a few weeks.
It's several things. Some happen right away, some take longer. If you want to read the scientific literature on this, the term to search is "deconditioning." As in, the opposite of conditioning. Every adaptation that your body makes to training gets lost if you don't keep training. Off the top of my head:
Skill memory
Motor unit recruitment efficiency
Enzymes in energy pathways
Physical muscle changes (e.g., capillary density)
If you're really interested in this stuff, read Maglischo.
