The Day-by-Day Periodization Strategies of a Giro d'Italia Podium Finisher.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe the day-by-day training and racing characteristics in preparation for the Giro d'Italia of 1 world-class road cyclist who achieved a place on the podium in the final general classification of the Giro d'Italia. METHODS: Day-by-day power meter training and racing data of 1 study subject (road cyclist; age 25 y; relative maximum oxygen consumption 81 mL·min-1·kg-1; relative 20-min record power output 6.6 W·kg-1) covering the 152 days leading up to the podium in the Giro d'Italia final general classification were retrospectively analyzed. Daily load, daily volume, and intensity distribution were considered. RESULTS: During training a pattern alternating "hard days" versus "easy days" was observed, as significant amounts of medium or high intensity, or load, were not performed for more than 2 consecutive days This pattern was achieved combining high volume (>4 h) with a significant amount of medium and high intensity within the same training sessions. During training, when training load and intensity increased, the density of "easy days" augmented. In 1-week stage races and the Giro d'Italia, 3 to 8 consecutive days with significant amounts of medium and high intensity were performed. A high number of training sessions with small amounts of medium- and high-intensity volume was observed: 38 days accumulating 3 to 10 minutes at medium intensity and 29 days spending 1 to 9 minutes at high intensity. CONCLUSION: These data provide novel insights about the day-by-day periodization strategies leading to a top 3 in the Giro d'Italia general classification.

Cardiorespiratory and metabolic consequences of detraining in endurance athletes.

Background: A training program can stimulate physiological, anatomical, and performance adaptations, but these improvements can be partially or entirely reversed due to the cessation of habitual physical activity resulting from illness, injury, or other influencing factors. Purpose: To investigate the effects of detraining on cardiorespiratory, metabolic, hormonal, muscular adaptations, as well as short-term and long-term performance changes in endurance athletes. Methods: Eligible studies were sourced from databases and the library up until July 2023. Included studies considered endurance athletes as subjects and reported on detraining duration. Results: Total cessation of training leads to a decrease in VO2max due to reductions in both blood and plasma volume. Cardiac changes include decreases in left ventricular mass, size, and thickness, along with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, ultimately resulting in reduced cardiac output and impaired performance. Metabolically, there are declines in lactate threshold and muscle glycogen, increased body weight, altered respiratory exchange ratio, and changes in power parameters. In the short term, there is a decrease in insulin sensitivity, while glucagon, growth hormone, and cortisol levels remain unchanged. Skeletal muscle experiences reductions in arterial-venous oxygen difference and glucose transporter-4. Implementing a partial reduction in training may help mitigate drastic losses in physiological and performance parameters, a consideration when transitioning between training seasons. Conclusion: There is a dearth of data investigating the detraining effects of training reduction/cessation among endurance athletes. Delving deeper into this topic may be useful for professionals and researchers to identify the optimal strategies to minimize these effects.