EFFECTS OF 3 TAPERING TECHNIQUES ON THE PERFORMANCE, FORCES AND PSYCHOMETRIC MEASURES OF COMPETITIVE SWIMMERS

The 100-m and 400-m swim time, tethered swimming forces, mood states a nd self-ratings of wellbeing: of 27 competitive swimmers were measured before and after 4 weeks of intense training and after 1 week and 2 w eeks of tapering for major competition. The swimmers were divided into three groups. Each group completed one of three taper regimes similar to those currently performed by swimmers in preparation for competiti on: (a) reduced training frequency according to each athlete's daily r atings of well-being, (b) reduced training volume, and (c) reduced tra ining volume and intensity. Significant improvements in the Profile of Mood States measures of tension, depression and anger (P < 0.05) were observed after 1 week of tapering, with significant improvements in t otal mood disturbance and fatigue (P < 0.05) and peak tethered swimmin g force (P < 0.01) after 2 weeks. Non-significant improvements in 100- m and 400-m swim time (P > 0.05) were observed and no significant diff erences were revealed among the three tapering techniques. These data highlighted the importance of providing sufficient recovery before com petition, since 1 week of reduced training was not long enough to maxi mise the benefits of tapering. However, none of the three types of tap ering currently used by competitive swimmers could be shown to be more beneficial than the others.