The way to get fitter is to challenge the body and then rest in order to give the body a chance to recover.

But in the week leading up to a race day, is it really such a good idea to stop running?

Certainly reducing the volume of workouts before an event gives you a much-deserved break from the strain of intense training.

And tapering allows the body to rebuild tissue damage and to restock energy in the form of glycogen.

It also helps reduce levels of an enzyme called creatine kinase, which is generated by intense muscle contractions and is found in high levels in over-trained, fatigued athletes.

Strategic tapering
However, studies have shown that a proper taper is not simply the absence of hard training, but the strategic placement of intense efforts.

One key study on the subject explored the effects of three tapering procedures on trained runners.

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, had athletes train six days per week for eight weeks. During the final two weeks, they ran 80 kilometers a week with two to three interval sessions.

They then went through either a high-intensity taper, a low-intensity taper, or a rest-only taper. When the researchers tested the athletes at the end of the five-day period, they found that those who rested experienced a three per cent decrease in performance.

The low-intensity taper produced a slight increase of six per cent, but the high-intensity taper netted an increase of a whopping 22 per cent on a run-to-fatigue performance test.

Greatly reducing the volume but keeping intensity high is the best tapering strategy for middle-and long-distance runners.

The decrease in volume allows the body to recover and adapt, yet the short, intense workouts provide enough anaerobic training stimulus to prevent the body from detraining.

So while the couch may look lonely, avoid slacking off. Rest smart and you’ll race well.