Bump Up Your Fitness!

If you read a lot of sports science research, you'll run across a curve representing the cycle of physiological adaptation:

Here's what it's meant to convey: when you apply a training stress at time t₁, your body's capacity to respond to that stress is initially diminished.

When you've done a difficult workout, you'd hardly appreciate having to repeat it, at least not right away!

In this phase, you've drawn down your reserves. You're "in the red" (thus my choice of color for that section of the graph).

After a time that decline reverses. You begin to "recover" (now the curve is moving upward). You return to your initial state of fitness, but (happy day!) you don't stop there.

Your fitness reaches a higher level, represented by the area in green.

Here's the key. If your perform your next workout at time t₂, it's too early. You've cut your recovery short; the starting point of your next adaptive cycle is one of lowered fitness.

And if you wait until time t₄, you've wasted an opportunity, because your fitness has dropped from its post-recovery peak. (Although you're no worse off, since it hasn't dropped below its initial level. If you wait any longer, it will.)

If you train at time t₃, you're golden. You're starting the next cycle of adaptation right at your new peak!

And if your timing is "dialed in" (you perform your training at the times represented by the "golden" vertical lines), your adaptation will look something like this:

Now, several factors complicate this scheme. (If things were simple, there'd be no art in what I do. I'd be bored, plus I'd be out of a job!)

Two are paramount; I'll discuss 'em in later posts. Hint: the first will cover "undulating periodization."

Happy training, all!