Training & Nutrition - Can someone explain overcompensation and recovery?

HI,

Among the phenomena which take place during training, overcompensation and the way it works seems to be the one I find the less inormation about. Can anyone please explain what are the things that are actually happening during the overcompensation phase?

HI,

Among the phenomena which take place during training, overcompensation and the way it works seems to be the one I find the less inormation about. Can anyone please explain what are the things that are actually happening during the overcompensation phase?

Your 'fitness' (whatever you are targeting) is at a certain level. You stress it. The body (during recovery) overcompensates for this stress and builds your 'fitness' to a slightly higher level. If you then stress it again at this new level - rather than while still stressed (no recovery) or letting it go back down to the original level (too long of a recovery) - the body will overcompensate to an even higher level. The trick is figuring out when that peak is. – TF

Thanks for the clear answer. Now, how can you tell in which phase of your recovery you are?

Thanks for the clear answer. Now, how can you tell in which phase of your recovery you are?

When you find the metric for that, write a book. - TF

To add to Turbo's thoughts...traditionally it's called supercompensation and is the result of over-reaching in your training (a fine line to over-training, so be cautious)...you introduce training stress for a period of time - say three weeks..then do a systematic recovery that allows the body to adapt and recover from the training load - again, typically, when peaking/tapering you drop the training volume by 40-60%, training frequency by only a bit (maybe 1 less day per week) - but the trick is to keep INTENSITY at, or very near the level you were using during your build/overload period. The most common tapering period, towards a peak performance, is two weeks'ish - varies by athlete. Supercompensation is a smaller version of this - a more traditional work/recovery cycle, most often without the intensity component during recovery, which is also shorter than two weeks...you actually compensate for nearly every training stress at some level....it's the overload/recovery cycle that facilitates supercompensation

BTW, their are physiologists/coaches that think this 'cycle' (whether daily or monthly) is not necessary and that a steady state workload works at least as well. - TF

BTW, their are physiologists/coaches that think this 'cycle' (whether daily or monthly) is not necessary and that a steady state workload works at least as well. - TF

I think this is more prevalent in Australian training theories. It may work physiologically, but less likely to be sustainable on a psychological basis.

I think this is more prevalent in Australian training theories. It may work physiologically, but less likely to be sustainable on a psychological basis.

Also, the 'cycle' is still there, it just is completed within 24 hrs so you can do it again the next day. - TF

overcompensation:

http://www.clubavalanche.com/forums/pthumbs/pimg-1093545779-037824.jpg

overcompensation:

http://www.clubavalanche.com/forums/pthumbs/pimg-1093545779-037824.jpg

Wonderful! Brevity is indeed the soul of wit.