Overlooking recovery after exercise.

Training Load

When you taper your training, you provide your body the opportunity to recover, adapt and overcompensate to the training you've done so you're prepared to tolerate a higher training load. How much or how long you need to taper depends on your prior exercise load, your level of fatigue, age and your genetically-predetermined ability to retain your training effects while reducing the training stimulus (i.e., how quickly you lose fitness). Usually a week is sufficient.

There are a number of physiological changes that occur during the taper period. Among the most prominent are changes in the characteristics of the blood, including increases in red blood cell volume, total blood volume and reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) and improvements in the health of red blood cells. These hematological changes reflect a positive balance between haemolysis (the degradation of red blood cells) and erythropoietin (the production of red blood cells), leading to a greater oxygen carrying capability and improved cardiovascular endurance.

Tapering also increases muscle glycogen content, aerobic enzyme activity (allowing for greater aerobic metabolism) and muscular strength and power. A decreased level of creatine kinase in the blood, which reflects an increased recovery, has also been consistently found following a taper.

So next time you finish a hard or long workout, have a recovery protein drink , take a cold bath, book yourself a sports massage treatment , taper your training and take the lift instead of the stairs. These strategies will help to encourage optimal recovery in your endurance.