Time course of training adaptations.

[kmavm]

Take a look at table 2 in Dr. Coggan's "Racing and Training with a Power Meter" (http://www.midweekclub.ca/articles/coggan.pdf). This is one of my favorite little gems in all the pop cycling training literature I've run across. It maps workout intensities to physiological adaptations.

Presumably, for each of these adaptations, the body's response curve to a single given workout looks something like: recover (reduced performance), onset of overcompensation, peak of overcompensation, detraining. I'm curious what the time scale for these adaptations is. E.g., a cyclist goes out and hammers a 2x20 threshold wrkout. Table 2 tells us to expect this athlete's body to increase mitochondrial enzymes, to increase LT, to somewhat increase plasma volume if this adaptation isn't already maxed out, etc. But when do the benefits start, peak, and begin to tail off? Obviously there's some significant athlete-to-athlete variation, but I'm just curious about a ballpark figure. Are we talking days, weeks, or months? Does the answer vary by adaptation?

I'm not even sure this question makes sense. It's very hard for me to guess from my own experience, because there are so many confounding variables; you never go and do a single 2x20 and then stop training. You do them as part of a block of training, all stressing the same system, and your performance suffers for a while from the general overload. Once you're overreached enough, hopefully you take some easy days and come back stronger. However, are you stronger from the 2x20s 3 weeks ago, or stronger from the 3x18s 1 week ago, or from the 6x6 vo2max two days ago, etc.? It seems impossible to say, so I'm hoping it's been studied in a structured way.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

kmavm, I'm not qualified to answer your questions but the title of the thread reminded me of this article that you may find of interest.

 

[Peka]

the title of the thread reminded me of this article that you may find of interest.

Good article, answered a few things I've been wondering....

 

[kmavm]

kmavm, I'm not qualified to answer your questions but the title of the thread reminded me of this article that you may find of interest.

That's a wonderful article, and was one of the things stimulating me to ask this question. You can tell I've read it before, because I inadvertently ripped off the title . It seems like this article addresses the chronic effects of training, where as I'm curious about the acute effects. The practical reason I'm asking is to help time peaks during the season.

 

[SolarEnergy]

That is definetly a good article, thank you Doctor

But also, the way I understood the original question that first began this discussion, there may be something more to add to it if I may..

Your question,

........Presumably, for each of these adaptations, the body's response curve to a single given workout looks something like: recover (reduced performance), onset of overcompensation, peak of overcompensation, detraining. I'm curious what the time scale for these adaptations is. E.g., a cyclist goes out and hammers a 2x20 threshold wrkout. Table 2 tells us to expect this athlete's body to increase mitochondrial enzymes, to increase LT, to somewhat increase plasma volume if this adaptation isn't already maxed out, etc. But when do the benefits start, peak, and begin to tail off? stronger from the 3x18s 1 week ago, or from the 6x6 vo2max two days ago, etc.? It seems impossible to say, so I'm hoping it's been studied in a structured way......

In fact, during the 8 years I worked as a coach, I was constently keeping that question in mind, almost all the time. Specially while building up the programs. I'm not sure how it's been studied recently, but I read a book called Theory and Methodology of Training, written by Tudor Bompa that covers certain aspects of this question.

To me, these curves (workload/recovery/overcompensation), they are similar to the curves made by a Basket ball (sorry if my english is bad, I'm a Frenchie). Planning is a bit like Dribling. You basically try to control where the ball bounce, when, how high, how low. When you get to know your athletes, you can guess how much rest, how much workload, increase, volume etc work best for each of them.

To me, every quality workout (TT, Intervals, etc) serves a cause. Most of the time, it's planned to help the athlete to acheive other upcomming difficult quality workout, or intermediate competition. You set main goals, ones that you can mesure. And then you prescribe some good, meaningfull, quality workouts TRYING to anticipate the timing of these curves. (By the way, that's why the thing I use to hate the most, is an athlete that misses a quality workout. In my mind, it use to disturb the curve )

And when you build up the annual plan, you realise that you don't have much time, quality time. And in order to read clearly through these curves, analyse them and know if you really control them, as the season goes, you need to cut them clean. What I'm trying to say (in my own limited english), is that you must be very carefull to always give some direction to your quality workouts AND the resting periods (Both come in pairs). And that direction is dictated by "the curves".

I have the impression that I might not have anwsered your question the way you wish, but that doesn't matter. Given the fact that you are asking yourself this question, you automatically become a better coach for yourself and your pals