Making the case for a (proper) deload week |
“Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it.”
~Soren Kierkegaard
Before we get down to brass tacks, I want to wish a very happy birthday to my father-in-law. He’s arguably my most ardent reader and a long-time supporter in all areas—both this newsletter and beyond. Truly one of the best guys I know. Happy Birthday, TG!
Three weeks up–one week down. Maybe it’s four weeks up, then a cutback week. The combinations are endless—well, not really, but you get the idea. How many runners follow a similar structure? And more importantly, why?
Funny thing is, when you ask, you’re often met with silence. Every now and then, someone offers a semi-scientific explanation, but more often the conversation drifts into generalities about training plans rather than a clear rationale.
Part of the challenge may be that the literature on deload weeks in endurance athletes is relatively sparse. Most of what is available focuses on strength athletes and the impacts of full cessation from training. Neither scenario translates particularly well to a distance runner looking to strategically pull back on their training. But that doesn’t mean we’re flying blind. There are still useful principles and adjacent research we can draw from.
What constitutes a “deload” week?
This question could easily warrant an entire newsletter of its own, as the level of nuance is significant. Most of the available literature that supports this practice is rooted in tapering, which I’ve covered in a previous newsletter HERE.
A deload week can be thought of as a much less aggressive, more abbreviated version of a taper. While the benefits of deload weeks are not well elucidated in the literature, tapering is well supported by research and consistently shown to produce meaningful improvements in performance.
There are a few key principles that can (and should) guide your approach to reducing training after a period of sustained load. The following are principles I’ve implemented with the athletes I work with, informed by the available literature and coaching strategies from some of the brightest minds in exercise physiology.
- Reduced volume - A reduction in overall training volume of anywhere from 10-30%
- Shortened long run - Reduced long run duration/distance by 20-40%
- Reduced intensity - Intensity is not eliminated, but workouts should be shortened and produce far less fatigue.
- Reduced sessions - This is far less common, but some athletes benefit from omitting an entire session from their weekly plan during a deload. (salient for athletes who perform doubles)
- Timing is key - Early in the season, when true aerobic training dominates the schedule, deloads can be used less frequently. As you move toward the competition phase and begin to really turn the screw, these weeks should be incorporated more regularly.
What is the purpose of a well-timed deload?
In the spirit of keeping the main thing the main thing—you actually need to deload. One of the biggest mistakes I see athletes make is that their training during a deload week far too closely resembles a normal week. In other words, they don’t really cut back, and as a result, they forgo the benefits of this period.
All of this to say: these processes don’t happen unless training load is reduced. Full stop.
- Mental/psychological reset - Training takes a toll physically AND mentally. Motivation often improves following a reduction in training.
- Soft tissue repair — Tendon, bone, and muscle repair often lag behind aerobic fitness adaptations by several weeks. So while you may start to feel fit, your body is still playing catch-up beneath the surface.
- Hormonal recovery - Sex hormones (estrogen & testosterone) and thyroid hormones in particular
- Glycogen restoration - Heavy training leads to regular glycogen depletion.
- Supercompensation - Appropriate recovery after training stress leads to enhanced performance.
Signs you may need a deload week
- Heavy life load - This may come in the form of increased occupational stress, relationship stress, travel, etc. These are key variables that, while difficult to quantify, are immensely important.
- Frequent injury or a lengthy injury history - If you’ve dealt with recurring injuries in training, you’ll want to be especially mindful of deload timing.
- Heavy fatigue accumulation - Feeling profound fatigue even after adequate/quality sleep
- Performance plateaus or dips - If motivation is still strong but your performance has stagnated or started to slip, it may be a sign you need a deload week.
- Frequently succumbing to colds/illness - Everything can’t always be written off to “cold season.”
In my experience, high performers and Type A personalities (many runners fit this mold) should be especially mindful of incorporating regular deload weeks. The reason is simple—the idea of anything being “good enough” rarely resonates.
While this mindset can drive achievement, the cumulative stress it places on the system is significant. If we're going to operate under the principle that stress is stress is stress, then these individuals are often carrying the greatest overall load, and may benefit the most from regularly stepping back from high training demands.
Keep moving forward!
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