Optimal Post-Training Abstinence for Maximal Strength Expression
Abstract
Tapering commonly precedes strength/power competitions to augment performance, and training abstinence is an extreme manifestation of taper. This study compared the effects of different training-abstinence intervals on several indices of strength. Postresting strength performance was compared in 54 young men who had abstained from a standardized weight training program for either 2, 3, 4, or 5 days. Testing included 1RM heel raise strength and isokinetic plantar flexion peak torque at 1.05 and 3.14 rad. s -1. Heel raise strength was greater at 4 days as compared to 2 or 5 days, whereas performance at 3 days was no different (p >.05) than any of the other rest intervals. Isokinetic plantar flexion peak torque at both 1.05 and 3.14 rad. s-1 was unaffected by any of the rest intervals. Small to moderate effect sizes were found for heel raise strength for groups resting 3 and 4 days as well as for slow and fast isokinetic peak torque for the group resting 4 days. It was concluded that a transient elevation in heel raise strength in young men appears to occur by the fourth day of abstinence from heavy-resistance heel-raise training. Under the same experimental conditions, it appears that a modest increase in both slow and fast isokinetic plantar-flexion strength may also occur.
Publication Title
Research in Sports Medicine
Recommended Citation
Weiss, L., Coney, H., & Clark, F. (2003). Optimal Post-Training Abstinence for Maximal Strength Expression. Research in Sports Medicine, 11 (3), 145-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438620390331139
