Reversibility
By Matt Puddy, March 2008
Reversibility is a natural process where the body tends to lose conditioning,
strength, and endurance once training is stopped, interrupted or the weekly
plan is continuously broken. The key to stopping or slowing down the effects
of reversibility is to develop a set weekly routine, were a session is missed – back
it up with another. Do everything you can to prevent illness and injury. To
simplify, the correct response is, to do what you can do.
Whether you are training 2-10 sessions, if there is no consistency it will
only take a handful of sessions for your body to lose its conditioning, this
could be fully or in comparison to the rest of the squad. It doesn't matter
how long you have been training - sports scientists call it reversibility.
Effects in Aerobic Output
Although research has not provided all the answers
yet to understand why reversibility occurs so quickly, studies do show that
if the muscles are not
stressed constantly,
they rapidly lose their ability to use oxygen efficiently. This simply
means that reversibility sets in quickly for aerobic endurance sports such
as swimming
which requires the muscles to use oxygen over an extended period of time.
Effects in Strength
If strength / core body work is discountinued or interupted, the muscle will
atrophy - decreasing in both strength and mass. Adaptations in skeletal muscles
that occur in response to resistance training may begin to reverse in as
little as 48 hours! It does appear that consistent exercise of a muscle
is essential
to prevent the reversal of muscle growth and development that occurs due
to strength / core body work.
Effects in Endurance
Even with reversibility creeping in, sprinters can still swim at top speeds,
but they won't be able to swim repeated sets / heats at consistent times.
The same applies to strength. Swimmers may be still able to cope with minimal
distance, but they will not be able to swim repeatedly for set after set.
Take part in large power swims, pull or kick sets and work with bands / resistance
equipment etc…
Signs of Reversibility
•
Drop in performance. Loss of endurance.
•
Shortness of breath - body struggling to utilize oxygen.
•
Muscular soreness - smaller fibers are weaker, they tear more easily and
take longer to heal.
Competition
Continuously taking two steps forward one step back cycling over and over
again on either the aerobic, anaerobic, race specific, comp phase of a
program will
not get you anywhere. Having just gone through a period of reversibility
(Illness, injury, session juggling etc..) the training element of your
program becomes
more important than the urge to compete! Do not place unnecessary pressure
on yourself to perform well during this period of time.
Finally, a taper for a competition should be carried out correctly 1,2,3
times per season before target competitions (Programmed in to the coaches
Macro Cycle).
Rest/taper is great but a cat only has 3 lives, don’t use them all at
once!
