Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey
Abstract Background This study explored the deloading practices of competitive strength and physique athletes. A 55-item anonymised web-based survey was distributed to a convenience-based, cross-sectional sample of competitive strength and physique athletes (n = 246; males = 181 [73.6%], females = 6...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Sports Medicine - Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00691-y |
| _version_ | 1797247272035024896 |
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| author | David Rogerson David Nolan Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis Velu Immonen Milo Wolf Lee Bell |
| author_facet | David Rogerson David Nolan Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis Velu Immonen Milo Wolf Lee Bell |
| author_sort | David Rogerson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background This study explored the deloading practices of competitive strength and physique athletes. A 55-item anonymised web-based survey was distributed to a convenience-based, cross-sectional sample of competitive strength and physique athletes (n = 246; males = 181 [73.6%], females = 65 [26.4%]; age = 29.5 ± 8.6 years) who had 8.2 ± 6.2 years of resistance training and 3.8 ± 3.1 years of competition experience. Results All athletes deloaded within training with energy and fatigue management being the main reasons to do so. The typical duration of a deload was 6.4 ± 1.7 days, integrated into the training programme every 5.6 ± 2.3 weeks. Deloading was undertaken using a proactive, pre-planned strategy (or in combination with an autoregulated approach) and undertaken when performance stalled or during periods of increased muscle soreness or joint aches. Athletes reported that training volume would decrease (through a reduction in both repetitions per set and sets per week), but training frequency would remain unchanged during deloads. Additionally, athletes reported that training intensity (load lifted) would decrease, and effort would be reduced (facilitated through an increase in repetitions in reserve). Athletes would generally maintain the same exercise selection during deloading. For athletes that supplemented deloading with additional recovery modalities (n = 118; 48%), the most reported strategies were massage, static stretching and foam rolling. Conclusion Results from this research might assist strength and physique athletes and coaches to plan their deloading. Future research should empirically investigate the findings from this study to further evaluate the potential utility of deloading in strength and physique sports. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:56:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d15e260e0ac4cff9e8c685dd7335389 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2198-9761 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:56:03Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sports Medicine - Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d15e260e0ac4cff9e8c685dd73353892024-03-24T12:21:46ZengSpringerOpenSports Medicine - Open2198-97612024-03-0110111310.1186/s40798-024-00691-yDeloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional SurveyDavid Rogerson0David Nolan1Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis2Velu Immonen3Milo Wolf4Lee Bell5Academy of Sport and Physical Activity, Sheffield Hallam UniversitySchool of Health & Human Performance, Dublin City UniversityDepartment of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Laboratory, CUNY Lehman CollegeDepartment of Sports and Exercise, Haaga-Helia University of Applied SciencesCentre for Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Solent UniversityAcademy of Sport and Physical Activity, Sheffield Hallam UniversityAbstract Background This study explored the deloading practices of competitive strength and physique athletes. A 55-item anonymised web-based survey was distributed to a convenience-based, cross-sectional sample of competitive strength and physique athletes (n = 246; males = 181 [73.6%], females = 65 [26.4%]; age = 29.5 ± 8.6 years) who had 8.2 ± 6.2 years of resistance training and 3.8 ± 3.1 years of competition experience. Results All athletes deloaded within training with energy and fatigue management being the main reasons to do so. The typical duration of a deload was 6.4 ± 1.7 days, integrated into the training programme every 5.6 ± 2.3 weeks. Deloading was undertaken using a proactive, pre-planned strategy (or in combination with an autoregulated approach) and undertaken when performance stalled or during periods of increased muscle soreness or joint aches. Athletes reported that training volume would decrease (through a reduction in both repetitions per set and sets per week), but training frequency would remain unchanged during deloads. Additionally, athletes reported that training intensity (load lifted) would decrease, and effort would be reduced (facilitated through an increase in repetitions in reserve). Athletes would generally maintain the same exercise selection during deloading. For athletes that supplemented deloading with additional recovery modalities (n = 118; 48%), the most reported strategies were massage, static stretching and foam rolling. Conclusion Results from this research might assist strength and physique athletes and coaches to plan their deloading. Future research should empirically investigate the findings from this study to further evaluate the potential utility of deloading in strength and physique sports.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00691-yDeloadingStrength TrainingStrength SportsBodybuilding |
| spellingShingle | David Rogerson David Nolan Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis Velu Immonen Milo Wolf Lee Bell Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey Sports Medicine - Open Deloading Strength Training Strength Sports Bodybuilding |
| title | Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey |
| title_full | Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey |
| title_fullStr | Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey |
| title_short | Deloading Practices in Strength and Physique Sports: A Cross-sectional Survey |
| title_sort | deloading practices in strength and physique sports a cross sectional survey |
| topic | Deloading Strength Training Strength Sports Bodybuilding |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00691-y |
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