What is Tapering?

Growing up a swimmer, the word “taper” was a common term mentioned around important meets by coaches and athletes. There was a general understanding that volume of training would decrease the week before an important event like a championship meet. Learning this term as a young child (elementary school age), it became a normal word in my vocabulary but I didn’t have a full grasp on why we would taper or what was the best approach to it. In this article, I’ll review over what the word “taper” means and how it applies to triathlon specifically.

Tapering is the reduction in training load, either by volume, intensity, or frequency, leading up to a triathlon event to optimize performance. Many athletes worry they will lose fitness if they decrease training load at all leading up to an event and others will experience increased anxiety because they are not exercising as much as their normal load. I’ve had some athletes tell me the taper drives them “crazy” because they are so used to having that consistent high training volume and they don’t know what to do with the extra time. My answer to that is focus that energy and time on recovery techniques (more on this below). Tapering is specific to each individual and it is multifactorial but there are some general guidelines that have been researched.

In 2007, Bosquet et. al established a taper strategy that was most efficient in high performing athletes in a meta-analysis Effects of Tapering on Performance. A total of 27 studies were included in the analysis with criteria for competitive athletes using an actual competition for performance data and employ a tapering intervention with details on the procedures to decrease load. The studies are about tapering for runners, swimmers, cyclists, rowers, and triathletes. In their results, tapering of 2 weeks duration where the training volume is exponentially decreased by 41-60%, without modification of intensity or frequency, will maximize improvements in performance. There are physiologic changes that can contribute to the tapering induced improvements in performance. Hypervolemia, enhanced red cell production, and the increase in oxidative enzyme activity can contribute to the increase in oxygen extraction and VO2 max observed in several studies. Another is an increase in strength and power. The 13-34% increase in muscle glycogen observed in studies during taper can contribute to improvement in aerobic endurance.

In 2011, Mujika wrote an article Tapering for Triathlon Competition in the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. He determined a similar conclusion that maximal performance is gained by decreasing training volume by 41-60% and not intensity or frequency. He mentioned by increasing the training load by 20-30% in the final 3 days of the taper may also improve performance (Thomas et al, 2009). Other topics to mention are recovery techniques during the taper such as massage, compression garments to provide increased blood flow, and reducing muscular fatigue. Nutrition is also mentioned with a focus on hydrating appropriately and increasing carbohydrate intake during the taper period.

Now that you understand the idea of a taper, how do you do it before your next event? This is where having a coach can be beneficial to help you determine exactly how to decrease your training load and what to focus on in the few weeks leading up to your triathlon. In general, you can expect a progressive decrease in volume of 41-60% in the 2 weeks leading up to your triathlon event. The amount of races you have and how spaced apart they are can have an effect of how long your taper is and whether the race you are doing is your “A” race or one of lesser importance. With your extra time, focus on increasing your hydration and carbohydrate stores more than normal, especially within the 48hrs leading up to the race. Focus on recovery techniques like massage, wearing compression garments like socks, foam rolling, massage gun, stretching, mindful meditation, and emphasizing sleep with the extra time you will have.

References:

Bosquet, Laurent, et al. “Effects of Tapering on Performance.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 39, no. 8, Aug. 2007, pp. 1358–65. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31806010e0.

Mujika, Iñigo. “Tapering for Triathlon Competition.” Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, vol. 6, no. 2 (Suppl.), June 2011, pp. 264–70. https://doi.org/10.4100/jhse.2011.62.06.

Thomas, Luc, et al. “Computer Simulations Assessing the Potential Performance Benefit of a Final Increase in Training During Pre-Event Taper.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 23, no. 6, Sept. 2009, pp. 1729–36. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181b3dfa1.