Supercompensation Kinetics of Physical Qualities During a Taper in Team Sport Athletes

Abstract

Purpose:
Peaking for major competition is considered critical for maximizing team sports performance. However, there is little scientific information available to guide coaches in prescribing efficient tapering strategies for team sports players. The aim of this study was to monitor the changes in physical performance in elite team sports players during a 3-week taper following a pre-season training camp.

Methods:
Ten male international rugby sevens players were tested before (Pre) and after (Post) a 4-week pre-season training camp focusing on high-intensity training and strength training with moderate loads, and once each week during a subsequent 3-week taper (T1, T2, T3). During each testing session, mid-thigh 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 one 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 two weeks 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 a ~1-2 week tapering timeframe appears optimal to maximize the overall physical performance response.

Full text

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
!
Supercompensation!Kinetics!of!physical!qualities!
during!a!Taper!in!Team!Sport!Athletes!
!
!
Bruno!MARRIER1,&2*,&Julien!ROBINEAU2,&Julien!PISCIONE2,&Mathieu!LACOME2,&Alexis!
PEETERS2,&Christophe!HAUSSWIRTH1,&Jean-Benoît!MORIN3,&Yann!LE!MEUR1,3,4&
&
1&Laboratory&of&Sport,&Expertise&and&Performance&(INSEP),&EA&7370,&National&Institute&of&Sport,&Expertise&
and&Performance,&Paris,&France&&
2Research&Department,&French&Rugby&Federation&(FFR),&Marcoussis,&France&
3Université&Côte&d'Azur,&LAMHESS,&Nice,&France&
4AS&Monaco&Football&Club,&Monaco&
&
*Corresponding!author:!!
Bruno&MARRIER&
French&Rugby&Federation!(FFR)&Research&Department&
3-5&rue&Jean&de&Montaigu&
91463&MARCOUSSIS&Cedex,&fRANCE&
Email:&brunomarrier@yahoo.fr&
Tel:&+33&1&69&63&64&65&
!
!
Abstract!
Purpose:& Peaking& for& major& competition& is& considered& critical& for& maximizing& team&
sports& performance.& However,& there& is& little& scientific& information& available& to& guide&
coaches&in&prescribing&efficient& tapering& strategies&for&team& sports& players.& The&aim&of&
this& study& was& to& monitor& the& changes& in& physical& performance& in& elite& team& sports&
players& during& a& 3-week& taper& following& a& pre-season& training& camp.& Methods:! Ten&
male&international&rugby&sevens&players&were& tested& before& (Pre)&and&after&(Post)&a&4-
week& pre-season& training& camp& focusing& on& high-intensity& training& and& strength&
training& with& moderate& loads,& and& once& each& week& during& a& subsequent& 3-week& taper&
(T1,& T2,& T3).& During& each& testing& session,& mid-thigh& 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&
one&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&two&weeks&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&a& ∼1-2& week& tapering&timeframe& appears& optimal&to&maximize& the& overall&
physical&performance&response.&&
Key!words:!Rugby&sevens,&pre-season,&training&load,&peak&performance,&detraining&

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
Introduction!
Team& sports& involve& a& combination& of& physical,& physiological,& psychological,& technical& and&
tactical&factors&that&contribute&to&competitive&performance.&Given&that&most&team&sports&require&
well-developed& speed,& acceleration,& power,& endurance,& and& agility,& it& is& likely& that& effective&
training&load& management&through& training&camps&and& taper& periods&would&improve& many& or&
all&of& these& athletic& attributes&1.& The& taper& has& been& defined& as& “a& progressive,& nonlinear&
reduction& of& the& training& load& during& a& variable& amount& of& time& that& is& intended& to& reduce&
physiological&and&psychological&stress&of&daily&training&and&optimize&sport&performance”&2.&The&
training& taper& can& be& considered& at& different& times:& at& the& end& of& the& pre-season&period&to&
prepare&for&the&start&of&the&competition&or&during&the&competitive&season&to&prepare&for&special&
events&such&as&a&major&match,&a&series&of&important&matches&or&an&international&tournament&3.&
&
Since&the& early&1990s,&tapering&has&been&the&focus&of&many&training&studies&3-9.& A& 2-week&taper&
(training&volume&exponentially&reduced&by&41-60%&with&no&change&in&intensity/frequency)&was&
shown& to& be& the& most& efficient& strategy& to& maximize& performance& gains&4.& However,& most&
research&has&been&conducted&in&individual&and& endurance& sports& (running,&swimming,&cycling,&
rowing& and&triathlon)& 5-8.& In& contrast,& very& little& information& is& available& in& team& sports&9,&
certainly&because&of&their&multifaceted&nature&in&relation&to&physiological&demands,&training&and&
performance&3.&
&
Research& investigating& tapering& in& team& sports& has& shown& a& supercompensation& of& physical&
qualities&in& most& cases.& After& a& 7-day& taper,& Coutts& et& al.& 10&observed& an& increase& in& peak&
hamstring&torque&and&isokinetic&work,&as&well&as&increases&in&the&multistage&fitness&test,&vertical&
jump,& 3-repetition& maximum& squat,& 3-repetition& maximum&bench& press,& chin-up& and& 10-m&
sprint& performance&in& semi-professional& rugby& league& players.& Similarly,& Bishop& and& Edge& 11&
showed& an& increase& in& repeated& sprint& ability&(RSA)& after& a& 10-day& taper& in& recreational& leve l&
team-sport& female& athletes,& with&an& improvement&in& total& work,& peak& power& output,& and& a&
reduced&work&decrement&during&RSA&testing.&Elloumi&et&al.&12&observed&a&systematic&increase&in&
performance&during&physical&tests&performed&by&elite&rugby&sevens&players&following&a&14-day&
taper&(30-m&sprint,&agility&test,&lactic&test,&five-jump&test,&Yo-Yo&test&level&2).&Finally,&de&Lacey&et&
al.&13&reported& an& increase& in& maximal&power& output& and& jump&height& in& professional& National&
Rugby& League& players& after& a& 21-day& taper.& Altogether,& these& results& show& the& sensitivity& of&
physical& qualities& to& tapering& in& team& sport& players.& Nevertheless,&the& physical& performance&
supercompensation& reported& in&these& studies&was&systematically&observed& at& a& single&point&in&
time,& making& it& difficult& to& characterize& and& to& compare& the& supercompensation& kinetics& for&
different&physical&qualities.&It&remains&therefore&difficult&to&determine&which&taper&duration&may&
be&optimal&to&maximize&physical&performance&peaking&during&the&taper&phase&leading&to&a&major&
competition&in&team&sport&athletes.&Additionally,&while&previous&research&has&highlighted&a&high&
inter-individual& variability& in& individual& sports& in& response& to& tapering&4,& this& aspect&requires&
further&investigation&to&be&characterized&in&team&sport&players.&&
&
Rugby&sevens&is&a& team& sport& that& requires& players& to& repeatedly& sprint,&change& direction&and&
contest& tackles& and& rucks,& interspersed& with& periods& of& low& to& moderate& intensity& running& 14.&
The& maximal& physical& performance& of& each& player& must& be& reached& concomitantly& during&
international& sevens& tournaments,& which& take& place& every& five& weeks& in& the& World& Series& or&
after& a& 10-12& week& training& period& for& the& Olympic& Games.& Accordingly,& the& period& between&
tournaments&gives&the&opportunity&to&optimize&the&length&of&tapering&before&each&competition.&
The& aim& of& the& present& study& was& to& describe& the& supercompensation& kinetics& of& physical&
qualities&in& international& rugby& sevens&players&during& a& step& taper& phase& at& the& end& of& a&pre-
season& training& camp.& We& specifically& aimed& to& examine&the& changes&in& lower& limb& maximal&
strength,&sprint&running&performance&and&repeated&sprint&ability&during&a&3-week&experimental&
taper&programmed&after&a&4-week&intense&training&period.&&
!

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
Methods!
Subjects&
10&elite&male&rugby&sevens& players& (age:& 26& ±& 5& years,&height:&179&±&9& cm,& body& mass:&90& ±&11&
kg),&from&the&French&team& qualified&for& Rio&2016&Olympic&Games,&gave&their&written&informed&
consent&to&participate&in&this&study.&This&protocol&was&conducted&in&accordance&with&the&Code&of&
Ethics& of& the& World& Medical& Association& (Declaration& of& Helsinki).& Before& participation,& all&
players&had&already&completed&a&maximal&aerobic&speed&(MAS)&test.&The&MAS&of&each&player&was&
determined& in& an& incremental& test& named& “University& Test& of& Bordeaux& 2”& (UTB& 2).& This& test&
consisted&of&repeated&3-min&runs,&interspersed&with&1-min&rest&periods&(passive)&between&each&
3-min.& The& speed& was& increased& by& 2& km.h-1,& between& 8& and& 12& km.h-1,& and & 1& km.h-1&from& 12&
km.h-1&to&volitional&exhaustion&15.&Players&were&familiar&with&this&test.&&
Design&
The&training&content&was&monitored&for&a&period&of&7& weeks& in& total,&divided&into&two&distinct&
phases&(Table&1).&The&first&phase&(I)&consisted&of&4&weeks&during&which&the&players&completed&a&
pre-season&training&program&with&progressive&increase&in&training&load.& The& second&phase&(II)&
involved&a&3-week&step&taper.&This&tapering&strategy&was&characterized&by&a&reduction&in:&1)&the&
total& distance& covered& during& rugby&sessions& [about& -30%,& global& positioning& system&(GPS)&
surveillance],&2)&the&number&of&sets&during&strength&and&high-intensity&training&sessions&(about&
-50%)& and& 3)& the& frequency&of& training&sessions& (about& -20%).& The& training& intensity& and&
session&content&remained&the&same& during&the&taper&than&during&the&pre-season&training&camp.&
All&testing&occurred&at&the&same&time&of& the&same&day&for&all& subjects&(i.e.&Monday&morning,&10&
a.m.&-&1&p.m.).&Warm&up&was&performed&prior&to&testing.&To&ensure&that&performance&variations&
during& each& testing& session& were& due& to& the& global& training& regime& and& not& to& the& training&
session(s)& performed& the& day& before,& the& players& were& required& to& respect& a& 24h& rest& period&
before&each&testing&session.!
!
Methodology&
Training!monitoring!!
During&rugby&training&sessions,&training&volume& and& intensity&were&calculated&on& the& basis& of&
recordings& from& 8-Hz& GPS&units& worn& by& all& players& during& all& the& rugby& sessions& (Sensor&
Everywhere,&Digital&Simulation,&France,&mass:&87&g&size:&102x52x19&mm).&Preliminary&work&was&
conducted& to& ensure&the& quality& of& the& GPS& data&and& their& high& re liability&in& comparison& with&
timing& gate& measurements&(unpublished& data).& High-levels& of& validity& (in tra-class& correlation:&
0.99,&typical&error&of&measurement:&2.7&±&0.3&%)& and&reliability&(typical&error&of&measurement:&
1.0& ±& 0.4& to& 3.8& ±& 1.8& %)& were& demonstrated& from& walking& to& high-velocity& running.&The&
maximal&aerobic&speed&was&used&to&individualize&each&player’s&speed&thresholds.!!
During&resistance&training&sessions,&training&volume&and&intensity&were&calculated&according&to&
the& methods& suggested& by& Baker& et& al.&16.& On& the& basis& of& the& type& of& exercise,& number& of&
repetitions,& sets,& load,& order& of& exercises,& speed& of& lifting,& rest& period& between& sets& and/or&
exercise,& and& periodization& structure.& Numbers& of& repetitions& and&the& sets& performed& were&
chosen&to&regulate&both&volume&and&intensity.&!
!
Testing!Methodology!
During& each& testing& session,& players& were& asked& to& perform& three& tests& in& the& same& order,&
separated& by& approximately& 10& min& of& rest& between& tests:& two& 30-m& sprints& to& assess& sprint&
acceleration& mechanical& output&and& sprint& time;& two& isometric& mid-thigh& clean& pull& trials& to&
assess& maximal& lower& limb&isometric&strength& and& a& repeated-sprint& test& (2& sets& of& five& 6-s&
sprints)& on& a& cycle& ergometer& to& assess& the& repeated& sprint& a bility.& These&physical& tests& were&
selected&because&faster&sprint&times&are&associated&with&greater&attacking&performance&(e.g.&line&
breaks,&tries&scored,&defenders&beaten)&while&performance&in&defensive&measures&and&rucks&are&
associated& with& sprint,& jump& and& RSA&performance& during& rugby& Sevens& tournaments&17.& The&

Table 1. Weekly average training during the 7-week protocol. Differences in training load parameters between weeks: * likely, ** very likely,
*** almost certain vs. Training Camp. No clear difference were reported for weekly values during the taper phase. HIT: High Intensity Training
!
PRE-SEASON TRAINING CAMP
TAPER
Duration (week)
4
1
1
1
Weekly total number of sessions
11
9 ***
9 ***
9 ***
Rugby
Sessions
Number of sessions
5
5
5
5
Total distance
covered (m)
19671 ± 2143
14169 ± 1116 ***
14479 ± 1746 ***
14161 ± 1844 ***
Distribution of
training intensity
<MAS / >MAS (%)
88 ± 8 / 12 ± 3
88 ± 7 / 12 ± 3
88 ± 5 / 12 ± 2
87 ± 6 / 13 ± 3
Resistance
Training
Sessions
Number of sessions
4
3 ***
3 ***
3 ***
Total number of
exercises / sets
40 ± 4 / 137 ± 15
22 *** / 74 ***
22 *** / 74 ***
22 *** / 74 ***
HIT
Sessions
Number of sessions
2
1 ***
1 ***
1 ***

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
RSA&test&was&performed&on&a&bike&18&to&limit&large&spikes&in&mechanical&stress&at&the&beginning&of&
the& pre-season&training& camp&19.& Subjects& familiarized& with& each& test& during& a& preliminary&
session,&in&the&conditions&of&the&protocol.&Before&each&testing&session,&body&mass&was&measured&
to&the&nearest& 0.1& kg& with& the&same&digital&body&weight&scales& (ADE& Electronic&Column&Scales,&
Hamburg,&Germany).&
!
Measurements*
Sprint* performance* and* mechanics.* The& performance& during&two&30-m& sprint& was& measured&
using& a& wireless& sports& timing& system& (Smart& Speed,& Fusion& Sport,& Australia)& with& a& 0.01& s&
accuracy.&Players& started& each&sprint&from&a&standing&position&with& their& feet&set&0.5&m&behind&
the& first& timing& gate&20.& The& latter& was& continuously& measured& during& the& 30-m& acceleration&
using&a& radar&device&sampling&at&48&Hz&(Stalker&Pro&II&Sports&Radar&Gun,&Plano,&TX).& The&radar&
was& placed& on& a& tripod,& 5& meters& behind& the& player& and& 1& meter& above& the& ground,& which&
approximately& corresponded&to& the& height& of& the& players’& center& of& mass.& Air& temperature,&
atmospheric&pressure&and&wind&speed&(Pro&Weather&Station,&Oregon&Scientific,&US)&were&used&to&
estimate&air&density&and& friction&force& during& the& sprint&21.& The& sprint&acceleration& mechanical&
outputs& (theoretical& maximal& horizontal& force,& F0;& maximal& horizontal& sprinting& power,& Pmax;&
theoretical&maximal&sprinting&velocity,&V0)&were&then& computed&using& the&method&of&Samozino&
et&al.&21,&which&is&based&on&instantaneous&speed-time&measurements.&*
!
Isometric* mid-thigh* clean* pull.&All& isometric& testing& was& conducted& on& a& force& plate& (Kistler&
9286B,&Kistler,&Winterthur,&Switzerland).&The&bar&was&positioned&to&correspond&to&the&players’&
power&clean&second&pull&position,&where&the&knee&and&hip&angles&were&140&±&7°&and&138&±&13°,&
respectively.&All&force&plate&data&were&sampled&at&1,000&Hz&using&Bioware&version&5.2&(Kistler,&
Winterthur,& Switzerland).& The& recommendations& of& Haff& et& al.& 22&were&followed& for& the&
implementation&of&this&test.&All&analyses&were&performed&on&the&2&isometric&mid-thigh&clean&pull&
trials.& All& force-time& curves& were& analyzed& with& the& use& of& a& custom& Matlab& (version& R2016a&
MathWorks,&Naticks,&US)&program.&The&maximum&force&generated&during&the&5-s&isometric&mid-
thigh&clean&pull&trial&was&reported&as&the&relative&peak&force&(PF,&N.kg-1)&23.&&!
&
Repeated*sprint*ability.&The&RSA&protocol&consisted&of&repeated&6-s&sprints&on&a&on&an&air-braked&
cycle& ergometer& (Wattbike&Pro,& Nottingham,& UK)&24,& interspersed& with& 24-s& rest&periods&
between&each&sprint.&Two&sets&of&5&sprints&separated&by&60-s&recovery&were&performed.&Players&
were& familiarized& with&cycle& ergometer& sprints&during& a& first& session& in& the& conditions& of& the&
protocol.&During&the&actual&testing&session,&the&warm-up&consisted&of&pedaling&at&100,&150,&200&
and&250&W&against&medium&friction&loads&every&minute&during&4&minutes&and&performing&one&6-
s&sprint& against&maximum&friction&loads.&After&3&minutes&of&rest&and&appropriate&adjustment&of&
the& handlebar& and& saddle& height& to& individual& anthropometric& characteristics,& players&
performed&the&first& 6-s& sprint&from& a& standardized&similar& starting& position& (preferred&leg& 45°&
forward).&The&relative&mean&power&output&(MPO,&W.kg-1)&was&selected&for&analysis.&&
!
Statistical*analysis*
In&order&to&assess&the&practical&meaning&of&the&results,&data&were&analyzed&using&the&magnitude-
based&inference&approach&25.&To&reduce&any&possible& bias& arising&from&non-uniformity&of& error,&
all&data&were&log&transformed&before&analysis.&The&magnitude&of&the&within-group&changes&was&
interpreted& by&using& effect& size& (Cohen’s&d)& values& of& 0.2,& 0.6,&1.2,&2.0& and& 4.0& of&the&between-
athlete&variation&at&Pre&as&thresholds&for&small,&moderate,&large,&very&large&and&extremely&large&
differences& 25.& Quantitative& chances& of& higher& or& lower& values& than& the& smallest& worthwhile&
change&(SWC,&equal&to&a& Cohen’s&d&of& 0.2)&were&evaluated&qualitatively&as&follows:&<1%,&almost&
certainly&not;&1%–5%,&very&unlikely;&5%–25%,&unlikely;&25%–75%,&possible;&75%–95%,&likely;&
95%–99%,& very& likely;& and& >99%,& almost& certain.& In& the& case& of& having& beneficial/better& or&
detrimental/power&changes&were&both&>5%&higher&or&lower&values&was&5%,&the&true&difference&
was&assessed&as&unclear&25.&&
!
!
!

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
Results!
Training'Load'between'phase'I'and'phase'II'(Table'1).&&
The& total& distance& covered& during& the& rugby& sessions,& decreased& almost'certainly&very& largely&
between&pre-season&training&camp&and&the&taper&(-28&±&7%,&-26&±&5%&and&-29&±&11%&for&T1,&T2&
and&T3,& respectively).&During&the&tapering&phase,& changes& in& total& distance& were&systematically&
unclear&with& a& trivial& effect& size.& For& all& the& other& parameters,& weekly& changes& were& almost'
certainly&trivial&within&the&taper&phase.&
Performance&changes&throughout&the&protocol&are&shown&in&Figures&1&and&2.&
&
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Figure'1.'Changes'in'performance'(x'SWC)'from'baseline'during'the'three'physical'tests'after'the'
intensive'training'phase'(Post)' and' each' week' of' the' tapering' period'(T1-T3).' Differences'in'tests'
results'from'Pre:'*likely,'**very'likely,'***almost'certain.''
Note:'a'possible'small'decrease'in'sprint'performance'was'reported'from'T2'to'T3.'
Figure' 2.'Individual' changes' (dotted' lines)' and' group' mean' (solid' line)' between' Pre,' Post'and'
Peak'(best'performance'during'the'taper)'for'30-m'sprint'time'(A),'for'Peak'Force'(B)'and'for'MPO'
(C).'
'
'

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
Phase!I!(Table!2).&&
At&the&end&of&the& pre-season& training& camp&(Post),& changes& in& 30-m& sprint&time&(-0.5& ±& 0.8%),&
Pmax& (-4.2&±&5.4%),& F0& (-4.4& ±& 6.4%)& and& V0& (0.2&±&1.6%)& were& unclear.& Change& in& maximal&
isometric& force& output& (PF)& was&also&unclear&(-1.1& ±&4.9%)& while& an& almost!certain&increase&in&
cycling&MPO&was&observed&(+6.0&±&1.7%,&moderate).&&
!
Phase!II&(Table!2).&&
During& the& tapering& period,& the& group& showed& an& almost! certain&performance&
supercompensation& at& T1& and& T2& for& the& 30-m& sprint&time&(-2.5&±&0.9%,&moderate&and& -2.6& ±&
1.0%,& large,& respectively)&and&MPO& (+6.7& ±& 2.3%,& large&and& +7.1& ±& 2.1%,& large,& respectively)&
while&isometric&mid-thigh&pull&performance&changes&were&unclear.&At&T3,& the& group&very!likely&
improved&its&performance&during&the&30-m&sprint&(-1.9&±&0.9%&in&30-m&time,&moderate)&and&the&
RSA&tests&(+6.9&±&4.0%&in&MPO,&moderate)&while&isometric&mid-thigh&pull&performance&changes&
remained& unclear,& when& compared& to& Pre& values.!Between& T2& and& T3,& the& group& showed& a&
possible&increase&for&the& 30-m& sprint&time& (+0.8&±& 1.0%,&small)&while&isometric& mid-thigh&pull&
and&RSA&performance&changes&were&unclear.!!
!
Performance!peak!(Table!3!and!4).&&
Individual&data&points&for&peak&performance&are&presented&in&Figure&2&(A,&B,&C).&The&30-m&sprint&
time& decreased& almost!certainly!largely&from & baseline& to& peak& performance& (ES:& -1.61&±&0.47)&
and& V0&increased& likely!with& a& small& magnitude& (ES:& 0.38& ±& 0.36).& Similarly,& mid-thigh& pull& PF&
peaked!very!likely!with&a&small&increase&(ES:&0.43&±&0.30).&RSA&performance&was!almost!certainly!
moderately&increased&(ES:&0.79&±&0.23).&&
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Table 2. Mean values (± SD) at baseline (Pre), after the pre-season camp (Post) and at the end of each week of the tapering period (T1-T3).
Differences in tests results from Pre: *likely, **very likely, ***almost certain. Pmax: Maximal power output produced in the horizontal direction,
F0: Maximal horizontal force capability, V0: Maximal velocity capability PF: Peak Force, MPO: Mean power output; QD: Qualitative
Difference
PRE
POST
T1
T2
T3
Sprint
Performance
Sprint
Mechanical
Outputs
30-m (s)
Change %
QD
4.14 ± 0.07
4.12 ± 0.09
-0.5 ± 0.8 %
Unclear
4.03 ± 0.07***
-2.5 ± 0.9 %
Almost certain
moderate decrease
4.03 ± 0.07***
-2.6 ± 1.0 %
Almost certain
large decrease
4.06 ± 0.09**
-1.9 ± 0.9 %
Very likely
moderate decrease
Pmax (W.kg-1)
Change %
QD
18.77 ± 1.31
18.00 ± 1.43
-4.2 ± 5.4 %
Unclear
18.40 ± 0.88
-1.8 ± 3.9 %
Unclear
18.08 ± 1.08
-3.6 ± 5.0 %
Unclear
18.92 ± 1.53
0.7 ± 5.5 %
Unclear
F0 (N.kg-1)
Change %
QD
8.19 ± 0.61
7.83 ± 0.53
-4.4 ± 6.4 %
Unclear
7.94 ± 0.41
-2.9 ± 4.8 %
Unclear
7.79 ± 0.37
-4.8 ± 6.1 %
Unclear
8.23 ± 0.62
0.5 ± 6.7 %
Unclear
V0 (m.s-1)
Change %
QD
9.24 ± 0.29
9.27 ± 0.30
0.2 ± 1.6 %
Unclear
9.35 ± 0.34
1.2 ± 1.5 %
Unclear
9.36 ± 0.31
1.3 ± 1.6 %
Unclear
9.27 ± 0.36
0.2 ± 1.6 %
Unclear
Mid-thigh Pull
Performance
PF (N.kg-1)
Change %
QD
28.87 ± 4.43
28.64 ± 4.87
-1.1 ± 4.9 %
Unclear
29.42 ± 4.84
1.4 ± 5.5 %
Unclear
30.27 ± 5.27
4.4 ± 7.4 %
Unclear
30.05 ± 5.49
3.5 ± 5.7 %
Unclear
RSA
Performance
MPO (W.kg-1)
Change %
QD
11.27 ± 1.16
11.92 ± 1.05***
6.0 ± 1.7 %
Almost certain
small increase
12.00 ± 0.99***
6.7 ± 2.3 %
Almost certain
moderate increase
12.06 ± 1.19***
7.1 ± 2.1 %
Almost certain
moderate increase
12.04 ± 1.21**
6.9 ± 4.0 %
Very likely
moderate increase
!

Table 3. Tests results (Mean ± SD) - PRE / PEAK
Differences in tests results between Pre and Peak (best performance during the taper): *likely, ** very likely, ***almost certain.
ES: Effect size, CL: Confidence limits, Pmax: Maximal power output produced in the horizontal direction, F0: Maximal force capability, V0:
Maximal velocity capability, PF: Peak Force, MPO: Mean power output.
PRE
PEAK
Change
in mean (%)
ES, ±90%
CL
Qualitative
difference
Sprint
Performance
30-m (s)
4.14 ± 0.07
4.01 ± 0.07***
-3.1 ± 0.9
-1.61 ± 0.47
Almost certain large
decrease (0/0/100)
Horizontal
Mechanical
Properties
P max (W.kg-1)
18.77 ± 1.31
18.89 ± 1.30
0.6 ± 3.5
0.08 ± 0.46
Unclear
(51/23/27)
F0 (N.kg-1)
8.19 ± 0.61
8.12 ± 0.45
-0.7 ± 4.1
-0.10 ± 0.58
Unclear
(28/20/52)
V0 (m.s-1)
9.24 ± 0.29
9.37 ± 0.32*
1.4 ± 1.3
0.38 ± 0.36
Likely small increase
(93/4/3)
Mid-thigh
pull
PF (N.kg-1)
28.87 ± 4.43
31.13 ± 4.88**
7.7 ± 5.3
0.42 ± 0.37
Very likely small increase
(98/1/1)
RSA
MPO (W.kg-1)
11.27 ± 1.16
12.27 ± 1.15***
9.0 ± 2.6
0.79 ± 0.23
Almost certain moderate
increase (100/0/0)
Table 4. Occurrence (number of subjects) of the best performance during the taper (Peak) in response to the pre-season camp: Post, immediately
after the intense period; T1-3, after 1,2 or 3 week(s) of tapering. PF = Peak force; MPO = Mean power output.
Post
T1
T2
T3
30-m sprint
0
3
5
2
PF
0
1
7
2
MPO
1
4
3
2
!

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
!
Discussion!
The&aim&of&this&study&was&to&investigate&the&taper-induced&supercompensation&kinetics&of&three&
major&physical&qualities&associated&with&performance&in&team&sports.&The&major&findings&were:&
1)& sprint& performance,& maximal& strength& and& RSA&were& sensitive& to& the& taper;& 2)& a& tapering&
period&of& ~1-2&weeks& seemed& optimal,& even&if&a&minority&of&players& may&benefit&from&a& longer&
period&of&reduced&training;&3)&sprint&performance&might&decline&earlier&than&peak&force&and&RSA&
during&a&prolonged&taper&phase.&
&
Optimal(taper(duration(
One& of& the&main& findings& was& that& mean& performance& in& sprint,& maximal& strength& and& RSA&
peaked& after& 1-2& weeks& of& tapering.& The& largest& part& of& the& performance& rebound&occurred&
within&the&first&week&of&the&taper&phase&for&RSA&and&sprint&performance.&A&6.7%&increase&in&RSA&
was& observed& after& one& week& of& taper& and& reached& 7.1%& at& the& end& of& the& following&week.&
Similarly,& 30-m& sprint& time& improved& after& one& week& of& reduced& training& and&peaked&a& week&
after& (-2.5%& and& -2.6%,& at& T1& and& T2,& respectively).&Despite& changes& in& maximal& strength&
remaining&unclear&throughout&the&taper,&a&small&improvement&in&this& parameter&was&observed&
after&the&second&week&of&reduced&training.&In&this&regard,&Buchheit&et&al.&26&showed&a&likely&small&
increase& in& isometric& mid -thigh& pull& peak& force& after& a& 2-week& Christmas& break& (reduction& in&
training&load),&including&8&to&10&training&sessions,& in& a& professional&Australian& Football&League&
club.& These& results& demonstrate& that&a& 2-week&taper& may& represent& an& effective&window& to&
optimize& the& physical&performance& response,& when& a& ~30%& decrease& in& total& distance& and&
~50%& decrease& in& strength& and& high-intensity& training&is& prescribed.& They& suggest& that& a&
positive&yet&smaller&response& to&taper&can&already&be&expected&after&only&one&week&of& reduced&
training,& when& it& is& not& possible & to& program& a& longer& tapering& period.& These& observations& are&
consistent& with& previous& research& that& has&systematically&shown& supercompensation&
phenomena& after& 7-,& 10-& and&14-& days& of& taper& but& without& showing&which& duration& may& be&
optimal& to& maximize& the& physical& performance& response& to& taper& in& team& sport& players& 11,&27.&
Only& the& results&reported& by& Coutts& et& al.& 10&contrast& with& our& observations.&These& authors&
showed& that& 40-m& sprint& performance& was&not&improved& at& the& end& of& a& 7-day&taper&while& a&
phenomenon&of&supercompensation&was&observed& during& other& performance& tests& (multistage&
fitness& test,& vertical& jump,& 3-RM& squat,& 3-RM& bench& press& and& chin-up& and& 10-m& sprint&
performance).& This& observation& was& likely& due& to& the& overreaching& state& induced& by& the& pre-
taper& phase&in& this& study&suggesting& that& a& 7-day& period& may& not& be& sufficient& for& sprint&
performance&to&supercompensate,&when&the&fatigue&accumulated&during&the&pre-taper&phase&is&
very&high.&This&was&already&suggested&by&the&mathematical& modeling& study& of& Thomas&et&al.&28&
and&indicates&that&the&results&of&the&present&study&could&have&been&different&with&a&more&severe&
state&of&fatigue&in&the&players.&&
!
‘Fast-’(and(‘slow-peaking’(profiles(
When& looking& at& individual& performance,& no& single& peak& performance& was& observed& before&
tapering&(i.e.&at& the&end&of&the&intense&training&phase)&for&maximal&lower&limb&force&output&and&
sprint& performance,& while& RSA& peaked& for& only& one& athlete& at& Post.& This& result& clearly&
demonstrates& the& importance& of& tapering& for& team& sport& players&when& high&physical&
performance& is& expected.& Additionally,& the& majority& of& peaks& occurred& within& the& two& first&
weeks& of& tapering& (70%,& 80%,& 80%& for& RSA,& sprint& and& peak& force,& respectively),& while&only&
20%&of&performance&peaks& were&observed&at& T3&for& all& the&physical&qualities.&Interestingly,& no&
single&player&with&at&least&one&peak&performance&at&T3&reached&his&peak&performance&at&Post&or&
at& T1& for& another& physical& quality.& These&findings& show&that& ~1-2& weeks& may& represent& an&
optimal&tapering& duration&in&rugby&sevens&but&also&that&a&minority&of&players&may&benefit&from&
longer&tapering&period&(~3&weeks).&These&observations&also&underline&the&difficulty&to&organize&
a& training& program& adapted&to& each&individual.& Because& the& synchronization& of& these&
performance&peaks&for&all&players&may&represent&a&real&added&value&for&the&overall&team&success&
in&a&match/tournament,&the&present&findings&encourage&differentiation&of&the&taper&duration&for&
‘fast-’& and& ‘slow-peaking’& profile& athletes.& Further& investigations& are& required&to& confirm& this&

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
result&on& a& larger& population& of& elite& team& sport& players& and&to& determine& whether& these&
responses&to&taper&are&reproducible.&&
!
Detraining)
The&present& results&showed&that& sprint& performance&might&decline&earlier&than& peak& force& and&
RSA& during& a& prolonged& taper& phase.& A& possible&small& decrease& in& sprint& performance& was&
indeed& observed&after& 3& weeks&of& taper&even& if& this& parameter& remained&higher& at& this& time&
point& than& at& the& end& of& the& training& camp.& While&3& players& reached& their& peak& sprint&
performance&at& T3,& substantial& declines& were& observed& in& other& players& (up& to& 3.5%& in& one&
player).&This&result&demonstrates&that&the&sprint&performance&response&to&a&prolonged&period&of&
reduced& training& was&highly& individual&in& the& present& group& of& players.& It& also& suggests& that&
either&sprint&qualities&are&more&sensitive&to&detraining&than&RSA& and&maximal&strength&or,&that&
the& strategy& used& in& the& present& study& to& reduce& the& training& load& during& the& taper& was& not&
optimal&for&this&physical& quality.&Future&studies&are&necessary&to& clarify&this& point.& In&contrast,&
the&present&study& also& shows& that& RSA&and&maximal& strength& might&be&maintained&during& a& 3-
week& taper& when& training& intensity&is& preserved,& despite& a& large& decrease& in& t raining& volume&
and&a&small&decrease&in&training&frequency.&With&regard&to&maximal&strength,&these&results&are&in&
line&with&the&meta-analysis&of&Bosquet&et&al.&29&who&showed&that&the&decrease&in&maximal&force&
became&significant&from&the&third&week&of&inactivity&and&with&the&recommendations&provided&by&
Pritchard&et&al.&27,&suggesting&that&tapering&duration&may&extend&up&to&4& weeks&for&this&physical&
quality.& Similarly,& the& robustness& of& RSA&performance&response,& which& has& been& shown& to&
strongly&rely&on&aerobic&qualities&30,&31,&was&in&line&with&the&recent&results&reported&by&Aubry&et&al.&
8,&who&showed& that& endurance& performance&can&be&preserved& during&a&4-week&taper&despite&a&
50%&reduction&in&training&volume.&These&findings&may&be&particularly&interesting&when&multiple&
peaking& is& expected& over& several& consecutive& weeks,& as&is& often& the& case& in& team& sports&
championships&or&tournaments.&&
!
Practical!Applications!
This&study& potentially& provides& valuable& practical& information& for& team& sport& coaches.!They&
demonstrate&that&1)&key&physical&qualities&are&sensitive&to&taper&in&team&players,&2)&a&window&of&
~1-2&weeks& seems&effective&for&most&athletes&and&3)& sprint& performance&decline&earlier.&These&
observations& can& help& coaches& better& control& their& training& program& and& to& ensure& that& the&
players&reached&their&peak&of&physical&performance&at&specific&times&of&the&competitive&season.&
Further& studies& are& now& required& to& determine& if& these& findings& are& confirmed& in& a& larger&
population&of&elite&team&sport&players&and&in&female&players.&
!
Conclusions!
This&study&is&the&first&to&characterize&and&to&compare&the&effects&of&taper&on&three&major&physical&
qualities& in& elite& team& sport&players,& through& a& prolonged&period& of& reduced& training& (i.e.& >& 2&
weeks)& involving& repeated&performance& assessments.& Sprint& performance,& maximal& strength&
and&RSA&were&sensitive&to&the&taper.&A&tapering&period&of&~1-2&weeks&seemed&optimal,&even&if&a&
minority& of& players& may& benefit& from& a& longer& period& of& reduced& training.& Finally,& sprint&
performance&might&decline&earlier&than&peak&force&and&RSA&during&a&prolonged&taper&phase.&
&
!
Acknowledgements!
!
This&study&was&made&possible&by&technical&support& from& the& French& Federation& of& Rugby.& The&
authors&are&especially& grateful&to&the&players& and& staff& from& the& French&Rugby&Sevens&Olympic&
team.& The& authors& would& also& like& to& thank& Chris& Carling& for& suggestions& and& English& editing&
assistance.&This&research&was&funded&by&the&French&Ministry&of&Sport&(grant&n°15-R-04).&

Marrier&et&al.&IJSPP&2017& & Tapering&in&Team&Sports&
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