Re: Tapering

[Guest guest]

Unlikely. Research we presented at the 2002 NSCA conference indicated

that decreases in speed and power related variables during high

relative intensity overtraining were unrelated to changes in MHC

expression. The abstracts are available online for NSCA members (Fry

et al. and Schilling et al.).

Also see Chiu and in the latest Strength and Conditioning**

Journal Myosin heavy chain expression appears to become fairly stable

following a prolonged period of training, and is thus a general

fitness characteristic.

Changes in speed and power related variables tend to occur as an

acute response or short-term adaptation making these a function of

fitness and/or fatigue after-effects. " "

**The brief, infrequent imposition of high-intensity training may

maintain or increase the specific fitness after-effects without

substantially affecting fatigue after-effects (16, 43, 64).

Therefore, this period is more than simply removing the fatigue after-

effect;

this period also maximizes the magnitude of the fitness after effect.

Thus, rather than taper, a more appropriate term for this phase of

training may be ramping.

==========================

Muscle and Performance Adaptations to High-Load Resistance Exercise

Overtraining

B.K. Schilling, A.C. Fry, L.Z.F. Chiu, E. Bernard, S.T. Belzer, and

L.W.

To examine the contributing physiological mechanisms to high-load

resistance exercise overtraining, 16 moderately weight trained males

(MEAN 6 SD; age 5 20.2 6 1.9 yrs; height 5 179.7 6 8.0 cm; weight 5

77.7 6 9.4 kg) performed 2 weeks of either a high load weight

training protocol designed to induce 1 repetition maximum (1-RM)

strength decrements (HL; n 5 8), or a normal weight training protocol

designed to maintain 1-RM strength (CON; n 5 8). After 3 weeks of

normal training to familiarize the subjects with the exercise device,

the HL group performed 10 3 1 at 100% 1-RM load daily (high load

phase) on a squat simulating machine (Tru-Squat; Southern

Xercise, Cleveland, TN), while the CON group lifted 2/wk using 50%–

70% 1-RM loads.

Test batteries were administered before (pre) and after (post) the 2-

week high load training phase. Tests included muscle biopsies from

the vastus lateralis m. that were analyzed for relative myosin heavy

chain expression (% MHC) using SDS-PAGE. Performance measures

included training-specific 1-RM strength, isometric force and EMG

variables during knee extension exercise, and various vertical jump

parameters. The high intensity phase induced an overtrained state in

the HL group based on the significant (p 5 0.03) decrease in 1 RM

levels on the squat machine (HL group, max 1 RM 5 159.3 6 10.1, last

1 RM 5 51.4 6 9.9; CON group, max 1 RM 5 146.0 6 12.9, last 1 RM 5

144.9 6 13.3). No changes in % MHC expression were observed for the

HL group (pre %I 5 14.4 6 4.2, post %I 5 15.5 6 3.7, p 5 0.341; pre

IIa 5 58.5 6 4.8, post %IIa 5 59.0 6 4.2, p 5 0.327; pre %IIb 5 26.4

6 3.4, post %IIb 5 25.4 6 3.5, p 5 0.717) or the CON group (pre %I 5

12.1 6 1.6, post %I 5 12.0 6 1.7; pre %IIa 5 63.4 6 2.7, post %IIa 5

59.7 6 3.1; pre %IIb 5 24.4 6 2.3, post %IIb 5 28.3 6 3.7). In

addition, no significant changes (p . 0.05) were observed for any of

the isometric and EMG variables, or any vertical jump variable for

either group.

These data suggest that the decreases in training-specific strength

were not due to alterations in contractile protein expression (i.e.,

MHC). Furthermore, in this case high load overtraining does not

affect measures of voluntary isometric force and EMG characteristics

and VJ performance.

==================

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK