In threads where training philosophy comes up, discussions of TRIMPS and TSS and other training models occasionally intrude. These models are not very well known, and even more poorly understood, so probably SolarEnergy, qbrain and I are just talking to each other and killing threads in those conversations. In any case, I figured I would present a brief overview of what it is that we're talking about when this terminology starts showing up.
Best case, this will introduce these models to the subset of swimmers (or coaches) who would be interested enough to use them, but didn't previously know enough to do so.
Plus, even if you're not the type to be interested in quantifying your training, it can be useful to think about workouts in this general framework.
And, at the very least, this might serve as a place to discuss some of the details without worrying about driving those other threads too far off-topic.
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I agree with qbrain that tapering is definitely about repairing something at the muscular level, NOT about restoring glycogen. If it were just glycogen, then tapers would consist of 3 days off. I do agree with this too (since it's quite far from what I originally stated) I think that muscle tissue damage recovery time goes parallel to time to replenish glycogen levels.
"Some experts have suggested that the taper effect may be due to surcompensating effects of other physiological mechanisms that are similar to those of glycogen loading. Although this explanation is vague, it may nevertheless be the best one currently available" (E.Maglischo, 2003).
That is what I originally stated, before even reading Maglischo's take on the topic, which can be read at page 655 that deals with tapering. It's a must read by the way, for anyone that wants to draw evidence based conclusions about this mysterious topic.
Parallel to Glyco unload/load curve. Just like fatigue related mechanisms go parallel to blood lactate concentration.
There are far too many, several too many many physiological changes that are taking place during the tapering process to explain performance enhancement solely on 1 of them. Sure, a significant decrease in creatine kinase is at the heart of it, but like I said previously, this marker could drop much more rapidly if swimming at high velocity was not part of the tapering process. Because swimming over one's anaerobic threshold also cause some tissue damage.
A taper is called a taper because it's designed to let fatigue fades out progressively. It could fade out rapidly if we could afford for instance 4 days off in a row. But that wouldn't be a good tapering strategy. Persisting in *micro-injuring* ourselves during the taper provides the best explanation for prolonged duration, that goes well over the recovery time imposed by any of these physiological changes. That's why it's called a Taper, and not a Sudden Break or something.
I agree with qbrain that tapering is definitely about repairing something at the muscular level, NOT about restoring glycogen. If it were just glycogen, then tapers would consist of 3 days off. I do agree with this too (since it's quite far from what I originally stated) I think that muscle tissue damage recovery time goes parallel to time to replenish glycogen levels.
"Some experts have suggested that the taper effect may be due to surcompensating effects of other physiological mechanisms that are similar to those of glycogen loading. Although this explanation is vague, it may nevertheless be the best one currently available" (E.Maglischo, 2003).
That is what I originally stated, before even reading Maglischo's take on the topic, which can be read at page 655 that deals with tapering. It's a must read by the way, for anyone that wants to draw evidence based conclusions about this mysterious topic.
Parallel to Glyco unload/load curve. Just like fatigue related mechanisms go parallel to blood lactate concentration.
There are far too many, several too many many physiological changes that are taking place during the tapering process to explain performance enhancement solely on 1 of them. Sure, a significant decrease in creatine kinase is at the heart of it, but like I said previously, this marker could drop much more rapidly if swimming at high velocity was not part of the tapering process. Because swimming over one's anaerobic threshold also cause some tissue damage.
A taper is called a taper because it's designed to let fatigue fades out progressively. It could fade out rapidly if we could afford for instance 4 days off in a row. But that wouldn't be a good tapering strategy. Persisting in *micro-injuring* ourselves during the taper provides the best explanation for prolonged duration, that goes well over the recovery time imposed by any of these physiological changes. That's why it's called a Taper, and not a Sudden Break or something.
