The Art of Tapering: A Comprehensive Guide for Swimmers

Updated: Sep 8, 2023

In the world of competitive swimming, mastering your stroke technique, building strength, and refining your endurance are undoubtedly vital. However, there's one often overlooked aspect that could be the key to transforming your performance: Tapering.

Tapering is the process of reducing training volume and intensity as a major competition approaches, allowing athletes to arrive at the event feeling refreshed, energetic, and at their peak physical condition.

Even though tapering might seem counterintuitive, science backs it up, showing that it can result in marked performance improvements.

This article will delve into the art of tapering, discussing when swimmers should start tapering before a major meet and how they should manage their swimming and other training activities like dryland exercises and running.

The Importance of Tapering

Swimming involves demanding training schedules, with swimmers often pushing their bodies to the brink of exhaustion. Over time, this intense regimen can lead to fatigue and, potentially, overtraining syndrome. Tapering aims to combat these issues, offering the body an opportunity to rest, recuperate, and prepare for peak performance.

During the taper period, your body repairs damaged tissues, replenishes energy stores, and allows the physiological adaptations from previous training to take full effect. Essentially, tapering is like putting the finishing touches on your physical preparation before a big meet.

When Should Swimmers Start Tapering?

Determining the right time to start tapering is a delicate balance. Taper too soon, and you risk losing fitness; taper too late, and you may still be fatigued come race day. A common guideline for most elite swimmers is to begin the tapering process approximately 2-3 weeks before a significant competition.

However, the exact timing depends on several factors, including the swimmer's age, their training background, the events they're swimming, and their individual response to tapering. As a rule of thumb, younger and less experienced swimmers often require shorter tapers (1-2 weeks), while older and more experienced swimmers might benefit from longer tapers (3-4 weeks).

It's essential to consider that each swimmer will respond differently to tapering. Therefore, it's crucial to monitor performance, mood, and recovery, and adjust the tapering schedule accordingly.

Managing Training Volume and Intensity During Tapering

During the tapering period, the overall training volume should decrease, but it doesn't mean training stops altogether. Instead, training becomes more targeted, focusing on maintaining fitness and fine-tuning skills, rather than improving endurance or strength.

While the training volume reduces, the intensity of workouts remains relatively high to maintain the cardiovascular and muscular adaptations gained over the training season. This helps swimmers keep their speed and strength while allowing their bodies to recover.

In practice, this might mean reducing the total yardage swum each day or cutting back the number of training sessions per week. For example, a swimmer who usually swims 6,000 yards per day might reduce this to 3,000-4,000 yards during the taper period.

Dryland and Running During Tapering

It's not only swimming practices that should be tapered: dryland exercises and running should be reduced as well. However, similar to swim training, the intensity of these workouts should remain high. The aim is to maintain muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness without causing undue fatigue.

The type of dryland workouts will also shift during tapering. More emphasis is placed on flexibility and mobility exercises and less on heavy strength training. Exercises that promote muscle activation, like light resistance band exercises or bodyweight drills, are also beneficial.

Running workouts, if part of your regimen, should be reduced in both volume and intensity. Rather than long, strenuous runs, focus on short, easy runs or sprints to maintain your cardiovascular fitness without adding unnecessary fatigue.

Individualizing Your Taper

While these guidelines provide a useful starting point, it's essential to remember that tapering is highly individual. What works well for one swimmer may not work for another. Therefore, tapering should be adapted based on the swimmer's individual response.

Factors to consider include changes in performance, mood, sleep quality, appetite, and overall wellbeing. Using these indicators, adjustments can be made to the tapering plan, ensuring that the swimmer arrives at the competition in peak physical condition.

In conclusion, tapering is a critical component of a swimmer's preparation for a major meet.

It is an art as much as it is a science, requiring careful planning, meticulous execution, and ongoing adjustment. Yet, when done correctly, tapering can be the difference between a good performance and a great one.

🔍 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 🔍

Q1: What is tapering?

A1: Tapering is the process of reducing training volume and intensity as a major competition approaches. It allows athletes, especially swimmers, to arrive at the event feeling refreshed, energetic, and at their peak physical condition.

Q2: Why is tapering important in swimming?

A2: Tapering offers the body an opportunity to rest, recuperate, and prepare for peak performance. It helps in repairing damaged tissues, replenishing energy stores, and allowing the physiological adaptations from previous training to take full effect.

Q3: How long should the tapering period be?

A3: The tapering period typically ranges from 1-4 weeks, depending on the swimmer's age, training background, and individual response to tapering. It's essential to find the right balance to ensure peak performance on race day.

Q4: Does tapering mean stopping all training activities?

A4: No, tapering doesn't mean stopping all training. Instead, training becomes more targeted, focusing on maintaining fitness and fine-tuning skills. The overall training volume decreases, but the intensity remains relatively high.

Q5: How do dryland exercises and running fit into the tapering process?

A5: During tapering, dryland exercises and running should be reduced in volume but maintain high intensity. The focus shifts to flexibility, mobility, and light resistance exercises to maintain muscle tone without causing undue fatigue.