title: Short-term performance peaking in an elite cross-country mountain biker.
abstract: Endurance athletes usually achieve performance peaks with 2-4 weeks of overload training followed by 1-3weeks of tapering. With a tight competition schedule, this may not be appropriate. This case investigates the effect of a 7-day overload period including daily high-intensity aerobic training followed by a 5-day step taper between two competitions in an elite cross-country mountain biker. Pre-test peak oxygen consumption was 89 ml·kg-1·min-1, peak aerobic power 6.8 W·kg-1, power output at 2 mmol·L-1blood lactate concentration 3.9 W·kg-1, maximal isometric force 180 Nm and squat jump 21 cm. During overload, perceived leg well-being went from normal to very heavy. On day 1 after overload, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis EMGmeanactivity was reduced by 3% and 7%, respectively. Other baseline measurements were reduced by 3-7%. On day 4 of the taper, he felt that his legs were good and all measurements were 3-7% higher than before overload. On day 6 after the taper, his legs felt very good. This case shows that an elite mountain biker (11th in UCI World Cup one week prior to the pre-test) could achieve a rather large supercompensation by using a 12-day performance peaking protocol.
authors.affiliation: a Section for Sport Science , Lillehammer University College , Lillehammer , Norway.
authors.forename: Bent R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Rønnestad
authors.affiliation: a Section for Sport Science , Lillehammer University College , Lillehammer , Norway.
authors.forename: Joar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: a Section for Sport Science , Lillehammer University College , Lillehammer , Norway.
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vegge
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology , University of the Basque Country , Leioa , Spain.|c School of Kinesiology and Health Research Center, Faculty of Medicine , Finis Terrae University , Santiago , Chile.
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mujika
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000379:methods*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: Training load; endurance; periodisation; supercompensation; tapering