ABSTRACT
Team-sport players and coaches are constantly seeking methods by which to improve performance. In many sports, a common practice designed to elicit maximal performance is to reduce the training stimulus 5 to 21 days prior to an important competition. This reduction in the training stimulus is incremental and is commonly termed ‘taper’. The goal during taper periods is to maintain the physiological adaptations achieved during intensive training, while reducing the negative impact of training (i.e., residual fatigue). Under ideal circumstances, this change will result in an athlete who has made maximum physiological adjustments at the exact same time as the negative influences of training have diminished, resulting in an optimal performance potential.
