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Tapering for a Marathon
Question
What is the best way to taper for a marathon? Should you reduce volume (mileage) while maintaining intensity (speed), reduce volume while increasing intensity, or reduce both volume and intensity? Please include a sample program.
Answer
A taper is a method of specific and advanced preparation that provides for near full physical recovery before the event, while avoiding the negative effects of de-training often associated with relatively low levels of activity. The resulting taper in training allows for peak performance. However, to be executed properly a taper must be incorporated into a larger vision of the training season. For a taper to be of maximal effectiveness, it must follow a long period of physical preparation that must be planned well in advance. Realistically, an athlete in a sport such as speedskating can only peak two or three times a season. Tapers aimed at scoring peak performances must therefore be separated by enough training time to allow for gradual buildup and development of the body.
It is generally accepted that a taper must be performed over 5-10 days, and involves a significant reduction in training volume while the intensity of the training sessions remains high. Much research has been done in this area in an attempt to identify what taper variables (time/intensity/volume/etc.) result in the best performances. One such study done at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, compared the effectiveness of three protocols that involved varying intensity schemes. In this particular study, the high-intensity taper (HIT) proved best [Shepley et al (1991)]. A modified version of this taper is included below.
7-day High-Intensity Taper
Day 1 Rest
Day 2 6 x 60 seconds @ 90%, 3 minutes rest
Day 3 5 x 60 seconds @ 90%, 2 minutes rest
Day 4 4 x 60 seconds @ 90%, 3 minutes rest
Day 5 3 x 30 seconds @ 95@, 2 minutes rest
Day 6 Rest
Day 7 Competition
It is theorized that this particular taper works best because the reduction in training volume allows for the muscles to reach near-full recovery while the intensity of the training sessions maintains, and perhaps even hones, conditioning. This makes sense since even a slight degree of muscle fatigue can impair performance, and we know that it takes at least 4 days of inactivity before the process of de-training begins.
opyright © 2004 Barry Publow. All Rights Reserved.
