title: Supercompensation Kinetics of Physical Qualities During a Taper in Team-Sport Athletes.
abstract: Peaking for major competition is considered critical for maximizing team-sport performance. However, there is little scientific information available to guide coaches in prescribing efficient tapering strategies for team-sport players.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To monitor the changes in physical performance in elite team-sport players during a 3-wk taper after a preseason training camp.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten male international rugby sevens players were tested before (Pre) and after (Post) a 4-wk preseason training camp focusing on high-intensity training and strength training with moderate loads and once each week during a subsequent 3-wk taper. During each testing session, midthigh-pull maximal strength, sprint-acceleration mechanical outputs, and performance, as well as repeated-sprint ability (RSA), were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At Post, no single peak performance was observed for maximal lower-limb force output and sprint performance, while RSA peaked for only 1 athlete. During the taper, 30-m-sprint time decreased almost certainly (-3.1% ± 0.9%, large), while maximal lower-limb strength and RSA, respectively, improved very likely (+7.7% ± 5.3%, small) and almost certainly (+9.0% ± 2.6%, moderate). Of the peak performances, 70%, 80%, and 80% occurred within the first 2 wk of taper for RSA, maximal force output, and sprint performance, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show the sensitivity of physical qualities to tapering in rugby sevens players and suggest that an ~1- to 2-wk tapering time frame appears optimal to maximize the overall physical-performance response.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marrier
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robineau
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piscione
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacome
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hausswirth
authors.forename: Jean-Benoît
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Meur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology*; D000072696:High-Intensity Interval Training; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000379:methods*; D055070:Resistance Training; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: detraining; peak performance; preseason; rugby sevens; training load