What Does ‘Tapering’ Mean, and How Do You Plan for It?© Felix Gmünder |
The concept of tapering explained briefly
The concept of tapering seems very simple – gradually reduce the number of training kilometres to allow swimmers to rest ahead of major competitions, with a view to achieving optimal performance. However, the exact process is not quite so straightforward and varies from club to club and from swimmer to swimmer, depending on age, height and gender, as well as the competition and the training completed prior to tapering.“Tapering is the only thing in swimming that is truly entirely individual,” say elite coaches. Whilst all clubs train according to the same principles for the rest of the season, when it comes to tapering, everything is different. Tapering means more than just reducing the number of kilometres per week. It must be tailored to the individual and is difficult to define.
The worst thing a coach can do is to adopt another coach’s tapering programme for their team exactly as it is. That would be like a class teacher bringing in someone who has never sat in that class to supervise the exams.
With this in mind, there are a few general guidelines to bear in mind.
1. As a coach, speak to your swimmers every day
For example, you should ask each swimmer how they are feeling on a scale of 1 to 10, and adjust your mental and physical training accordingly. Every swimmer has both individual and team-related needs. Swimmers must have complete trust in their coach and be willing to communicate on a daily basis. It is important for coaches to get to know their swimmers and ensure that they come to them with their concerns and understand what the coach is thinking.2. Do not overwork the swimmers
If you reduce the training volume, you must increase the pace. The biggest mistake, however, is trying to prove in training that you are ready. There is an old saying: ‘Don’t race in the training pool’. It takes ‘courage to taper’. And: stick to your plans.3. Don’t neglect mental preparation
Use visualisation to fine-tune the various stages of a race: the start, turns, pace, breathing rhythm, leg kicks, touch and relay handoffs.It’s like it’s been learnt by heart. When you step onto the starting block, it’s not the first time.
Some use inspirational music to prepare the swimmers immediately before the start. They’re already very well prepared mentally, so you can use the music to meet them where they are, both mentally and physically.
4. Stay calm and collected
The tapering period can be a challenging time. The less swimmers train, the more nervous they become, and they tend to test the coach’s patience. As a coach, you have to stay cool and enjoy the tapering to the full.Editor’s notes on the topic of tapering
The following tapering tips are suitable not only for swimmers, but also for triathletes.Firstly, it is worth noting that tapering is not worthwhile without a very solid training foundation. Tapering can be compared to the chocolate icing on a cake: just as icing makes no sense without a cake, tapering is pointless without a good training foundation (see Training planning for swimmers).
Reason for its benefits
The benefit of tapering lies in the increase in muscle strength and performance capacity. Furthermore, aerobic endurance capacity also increases. Tapering has nothing directly to do with the overcompensatory replenishment of muscle glycogen stores.Tips for structuring the tapering period
At the start of the tapering period, which lasts 2 to 4 weeks before major competitions, training does not differ from normal training. The training volume – i.e. the number of kilometres swum per training session or per week – is best reduced in a linear fashion. During the last 2 to 3 days before the competition, training does not differ significantly from a pre-competition warm-up session with a few sprints. Peak performance is maintained after tapering, even without training for 7 to 10 days, provided that a solid training base has been built up over months and years.Differences between sprinters and long-distance swimmers
Ahead of less important meets, or if a second competition follows within 3 to 5 weeks, the tapering period is shortened to one week.As a long-distance swimmer, you must not reduce your training volume to the same extent as a sprinter (see next section), otherwise your endurance capacity will be partially lost during the taper. The taper period is also slightly shorter than for sprinters, e.g. just 2 weeks instead of 3.
The shorter the taper period, the more training volume is reduced. During long taper periods, the number of training kilometres swum per week decreases linearly to 30–40% for sprinters and middle-distance swimmers (competition duration up to around 2 minutes) and to 40–60% for long-distance swimmers (competition duration longer than around 4 minutes). During short tapering periods, the training volume can be reduced linearly to around 30 per cent.
Shaving
Shaving is also part of tapering. Most good swimmers shave their entire body once or twice a year before major competitions. You swim faster when you’re shaved. The reason lies in reduced surface drag and a better feel for the water. It is difficult to provide proof or a scientific explanation as to why one swims faster when shaved.Instead of shaving, many use a depilatory cream or foam (follow the instructions for use, and take care not to get it in your eyes whilst showering). During multi-day competitions, swimmers touch up their shave daily with a razor in the shower.